The chief executive of the world's largest hospitality company said his company would not require its employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to work at Marriott International facilities.
Anthony Capuano, who took over as CEO of Marriott in February after Arne Sorenson died of pancreatic cancer, explained to the Canadian Hotel Investment Conference that his company, which has more than 7,600 properties across 133 countries, is "strongly encouraging" vaccination.
"In certain markets, we are providing financial incentives for them to take time off to get vaccinated," said Capuano. "But at this point, whether it is for religious reasons or personal reasons, we don't think it's practical to have an associate-wide requirement in vaccines."
The American Hotel & Lodging Association's COVID-19 safety guidelines, adopted in Canada and based on guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, encourages employers to consider implementing a workplace vaccination program, making it easier to get a shot but not requiring them. The stance shows how tough decisions are required by companies across the industry.
In an online conversation with longtime Canadian hospitality veteran Lyle Hall, Capuano left no doubt about where he sits on the vaccine debate after getting his second shot about six weeks ago.
"I felt invincible. I was anxious to get back on the road," said Capuano, who added vaccines are driving confidence in travel. "The challenge really becomes how do we drive increasing consumer confidence, travel confidence."
Capuano said his confidence in a global approach to vaccine passports emerging had waned considerably.
"It had to be global, it had to be comprehensive, it had to be reliable, and it had to be tech-enabled," Capuano said about a vaccine passport. "That window has closed. On the plus side, borders are opening, but it almost feels like every country, every city has their own approach."
Capuano plans a trip to five or six cities in Europe in the fall and has his Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine card ready to go.
"Candidly, an 11-year-old could counterfeit that card," said Capuano, who noted the vaccine process is "either terribly complex or requires extraordinary trust" in most of the world.
His interviewer, Hall, reiterated different requirements from different jurisdictions even within Canada are proving complex.
"I can tell you on this side of the border, we have 14 different jurisdictions and 14 different plans, and it's five times that in the U.S.," said Hall.
Capuano, who joined Marriott in 1995 on the market planning and feasibility team, said he gets asked basically the same question about replacing Sorenson all the time.
"It was a devastating loss for Arne's family, for his extended family, and for the industry more broadly," said Capuano, who is the company's fourth CEO in its 94 years of existence. "Almost every journalist asked me a different version of the same question: 'You are being tasked with following a beloved and generational talent and taking on this responsibility in the face of the most significant crisis that the company and industry have ever faced. Aren't you terrified?'"
Capuano said it might have been terrifying if he were on his own, but he has a board of directors and others to support him, including 17,000 employees who sent him a congratulatory email when got the job.
"When I think about the gift that is [Executive Chairman Bill Marriott], who I speak to every day, and our senior leadership team that is battle-tested," Capuano said he feels energized, not terrified.
Marriott reported a fourth-quarter net loss of 164 million U.S. dollars in February, and the CEO admitted he never thought he would be celebrating 50% occupancy.
"We are quite encouraged about the steady pace of recovery we are seeing in many markets," said Capuano, noting COVID-19 restrictions have hampered Canadian recovery.
Nevertheless, Marriott's expansion continues aggressively in Canada. With just three hotels in 1996, the company has expanded to 257 in Canada, with 80 in the pipeline, making the country its third-biggest market.
Capuano is optimistic about the future of travel globally. "I think it's just such a part of the integral human condition. I listen to our guests talk about their ravenous appetite, and we will get back to 2019 and blow past it," he said.
One of the long-term changes he's witnessed from the pandemic is how working from home has transitioned to something you can do in your hotel room while your family is on vacation.
"Business travel may look different," said Capuano. "Many have been in the unenviable possession where a spouse says we have a few days off from school, let's disappear for a few days. We look at our calendar and say regretfully, I can't make it work. One of the learnings from last year and a half is we can make that work. The next time our spouse asks, we'll say I can make that trip. I may disappear for two or three hours a day in my room."