Using research from GlobalData’s Influencer platform, Hotel Management Network has named ten of the most influential people and companies in lodgings on Twitter during Q1 2021.

Biggest influencers in lodgings: The top ten in Q1 2021

1. Richard Burns (@tvforhotels)

Richard Burns is a hotel expert who deals in TV systems and broadband internet for the hospitality and healthcare sectors including hotels, assisted living, recreational vehicle parks, and campgrounds. He is a regular contributor to tvforhotels.net, a part of Its All About Satellites, a provider of seamless TV, broadband internet, and Wi-Fi services to the hospitality, healthcare and education sectors.

Twitter followers: 7,869

GlobalData influencer score: 100

2. Arthur Frommer (@Frommers)

Arthur Frommer is a travel blogger and creator of the Frommer’s series of travel guides. He contributes articles to Frommers.com, an online platform that guides customers in planning their travel through content that deals in customised hotel property information, destinations and events.

Frommer also contributes travel articles to magazines and newspapers such as Readers Digest, Consumers’ Digest, New York Daily News and the Los Angeles Times. He hosts a radio programme on travel and has appeared on various TV programmes as a travel commentator.

Twitter followers: 160,395

GlobalData influencer score: 83

3. Michael Hraba (@HHotelConsult)

Michael Hraba is a hotel expert and project manager communications at the Waterford Hotels & Inns, a 25-year-old hospitality management company. He has extensive experience in project management including design and construction apart from sales and marketing, asset management and revenue management.

Hraba previously owned the Hraba Hospitality Consulting, which offers ecommerce, branding placement, marketing, and social internet services for the hospitality, hotel, and travel industries.

Twitter followers: 6,523

GlobalData influencer score: 70

4. Simon Calder (@SimonCalder)

Simon Calder is a freelance travel journalist and senior travel editor at The Independent, an online publication founded in 1986. He hosted several shows on BBC including the Travel Show, Perfect Holiday and Departure Lounge.

Calder continues to contribute to programmes on BBC TV and provides commentary for radio and TV stations on travel issues. He also contributes to other publications such as the Evening Standard, a free national daily based in London.

Twitter followers: 112,724

GlobalData influencer score: 67

5. AHLA (@AHLA)

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is a national organisation that represents all sections of the lodging and hospitality industry in the US. It supports the needs of hoteliers on various aspects ranging from savings, networking, to offering educational material.

Members of AHLA include major hotel chains, independent properties, real estate investment trusts (REITs), hotel associations, bed and breakfasts, and other industry partners.

Twitter followers: 14,275

GlobalData influencer score: 66

6. Matt Long (@LandLopers)

Matt Long is a travel blogger, podcaster and photographer specialising in experiential luxury travel. He is the publisher of a travel blog named landlopers.com that covers his travel experiences, provides travel tips, recommends good places to eat apart from offering a variety of travel related information.

Long is also the director, North America for iambassador.net, a digital marketing agency established by travel bloggers.

Twitter followers: 102,995

GlobalData influencer score: 66

7. Stacy Hope Small (@StacyHopeSmall)

Stacy Hope Small is the founder and CEO of Elite Travel International, a go-to luxury company that caters to a global pool of customers including Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Hollywood, fashion, technology, finance, and media professionals.

Small previously served as the editorial director of the Elite Travel Magazine, a luxury travel magazine distributed across jets, villas, yachts, and hotels worldwide.

Twitter followers: 71,635

GlobalData influencer score: 60

8. TRAVEL Esquire (@TravelEsquire)

TRAVEL Esquire or Glen Gilmore is a travel expert and blogger. He specialises in emerging tech and digital transformation, apart from being a top travel influencer. Gilmore is also a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and shares his passion for adventure and travel by working with top travel and tourism companies.

Twitter followers: 106,232

GlobalData influencer score: 60

9. Condé Nast Traveller (@cntraveller)

Condé Nast Traveller is a luxury travel magazine providing latest updates on travel, airlines, hotel deals, food and beverage, fashion, digital, cars, grooming, and vacation ideas for the modern, uptown traveller.

Launched in 1987, Condé Nast Traveller is a monthly magazine with nine international editions, a monthly print readership of 5.6 million, digital readership of 11.1 million, and social presence of 16.3 million.

Twitter followers: 717,681

GlobalData influencer score: 60

10. HOSPA (@HOSPAtweets)

HOSPA is a non-profit hospitality professionals association, offering best practices, networking, and professional development. The association allows professionals to advance their careers by offering a range of opportunities from webinars and meetings on industry-related topics to trends, and information.

HOSPA has a membership of more than 1,000 individuals and companies, and is regarded a hospitality specialist in the UK. It caters to different industries including hotel systems, hotel valuation, financial management, commercial management, and taxation.

Twitter followers: 20,190

GlobalData influencer score: 57

Methodology

GlobalData’s influencer identification framework identifies influencers based on relevance; size of network, connections and followers; engagement levels with their content and analysis and input from sector experts. Influencers are then evaluated on a series of specific topic-related keywords used over the period and weighted by engagement metrics.