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Often referred to as the “Pearl of the Ionian,” Taormina has long occupied a distinctive place in the imagination of international travellers. Since the nineteenth century, when it became an essential stop on the Grand Tour, the town has attracted writers, artists, and European aristocracy in search of beauty, inspiration, and refined leisure. Figures such as Oscar Wilde, D. H. Lawrence, and later Elizabeth Taylor and Greta Garbo, found in Taormina a discreet retreat overlooking the Ionian Sea, suspended between Mount Etna and the Mediterranean.

With the perfunctory New Year’s resolutions soon approaching, everyone is looking to starting fresh in 2026. For the hotel world, the appropriate adage is: “As one does at home, one will soon from their chosen travel accommodations.”

Sloan Dean interviews David Kong, former long tenured CEO of Best Western, about his post retirement focus and the leadership lessons he wants to leave behind. Kong explains that after stepping down he launched the It’s Personal Stories podcast to give back to hospitality by amplifying the career journeys of successful leaders, especially to address the persistent lack of women and diverse representation in senior leadership. He reflects candidly on his own experience as an immigrant and one of the first Asian American CEOs of a major hotel company, describing how cultural expectations and unconscious bias can limit opportunity, even when talent is widely distributed. The conversation then shifts to how Kong avoided complacency during 17+ years as CEO by continuously reinventing Best Western, driving quality upgrades, segmenting the core brand into clear tiers, and expanding into new segments and brand types. He offers a nuanced view on “too many brands,” arguing that brand proliferat...

The hospitality and tourism industries are a global phenomenon that makes us feel closer to each other. As the famous quote that most hospitality professionals already know outlines, “tourism makes friends of people who would otherwise be enemies.” The author of this quote is debated but the sentiment is generally agreed upon by travelers and industry professionals alike. Yet, geo-political forces can impact the hospitality and tourism industries. These forces can be felt particularly strongly in the lodging industry.