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London, United Kingdom, 07/01/2009 – The list of locations around the world having experienced terrorist attacks on luxury hotels is growing fast: Netanya in Israel, Jakarta in Indonesia, Taba and Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt, Sana’a in Yemen, Amman in Jordan, Islamabad in Pakistan, Mumbai in India in November 2008 and last month, Peshawar in Pakistan. Each of these events points to the same major vulnerability that exists in the high-end hotel sector, not just in global terrorism hot spots, but also closer to home, where possible copycat attacks have been predicted, and highlights the urgent need for major security improvements.
For this reason, Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, has been working on a comprehensive strategy to assess and rate hotel security provisions on a global basis, for the benefit of hoteliers, travel agents, insurers and, most importantly, their clientele. Joining Frost & Sullivan in this effort is the international counter-terrorism consultancy SDS Group, part of AIM-listed Pentagon Protection plc, whose technical director, John Wyatt, MBE, is the United Nations Blast Consultant for Europe and North Africa. As a first step in the introduction of this new joint initiative, Frost & Sullivan has published a white paper entitled “Improving Hotel Security in Today’s Unpredictable Global Environment.”
Commenting on this subject, Frost & Sullivan Partner Dorman Followwill said: “Travellers today expect to be well-protected when staying in a luxury hotel. They have the right to be aware of the security measures being taken to ensure their safety & well-being. This is now more important to some guests than the level of comfort a hotel is able to offer. Frost & Sullivan’s in-depth understanding of the security industry, and its global research capabilities, enable it to provide an objective assessment of the standard of hotel security in key cities around the world.”
Frost & Sullivan is carrying out a comprehensive survey of the status and standard of security measures in place in luxury hotels around the world. In association with the SDS Group, Frost & Sullivan will be working with hotel groups on a confidential basis to benchmark hotel security excellence. SDS Technical Director Dr. Wyatt explained: “Our 20 years of experience in carrying out risk assessment surveys in global hot spots gives us the skills needed to assist the luxury hotel sector now that it has become a prime target for organised international terrorism.”
In addition to risk assessment surveys of individual hotels around the world, Frost & Sullivan and the SDS Group will also be providing training courses for hotel security managers and other hospitality personnel, featuring highly seasoned instructors with hands-on experience in securing hotels and other high-value soft targets on a global basis. The training courses will be held at major international venues from August 2009 onwards, with the first taking place in London, on 17-19 August.
In the longer term, Frost & Sullivan plans to extend its well-established Best Practices Awards process into the hospitality security sector by setting up a Security Excellence Rating System to formally recognise hotels implementing ‘best-of-breed’ industry security practices that provide the highest levels of protection possible in an uncertain world.
For further information on Frost & Sullivan’s Hotel Security project, and to receive a complimentary copy of “Improving Hotel Security in Today’s Unpredictable Global Environment”, please contact Chiara Carella, Frost & Sullivan Corporate Communications, at chiara.carella[.]frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company email address, company website, city, and country.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 35 offices on six continents.
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chiara.carella[.]frost.com 
