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THE RECENTLY PASSED federal $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill contains important gains for the travel and hospitality industries, according to several advocacy groups. That includes the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act and the creation of a position in the Department of Commerce to coordinate travel and tourism industry strategy. AAHOA, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the U.S. Travel Association all welcomed the passage of the spending bill that was signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 23. All cited the OTTA legislation created by U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen, Democrat of Nevada, and Republic Roger Wicker of Mississippi through the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. What is the OTTA? The elements of the OTTA include the Visit America Act, which authorizes the creation of the new position in the DOC. The new assistant secretary would coordinate a strategy across multiple federal agencies to increase travel and tourism nationwide through annual goals and recommendations. "This means the industry will finally have a seat at the policy table after decades of advocating for this to occur," said Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president and CEO, in LinkedIn.com post.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association is weighing all options, including litigation, to contest the U.S. Department of Labor's final rule revising overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The association is concerned that many hoteliers may be forced to eliminate longstanding managerial positions, which serve as crucial paths to career advancement. The updated rule features two-tiered increases in the minimum salary threshold and the threshold for highly compensated employees, along with automatic updates to both thresholds, DOL said in a statement. The minimum salary threshold will rise to $43,888 on July 1, followed by an increase to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. This represent more than a 60 percent increase from the current $35,568 threshold, DOL said. The HCE threshold will jump to $132,964 on July 1, then to $151,164 on Jan. 1, 2025-an over 70 percent increase from the current $107,432 threshold, DOL added. The updated rule includes automatic updates to both the minimum salary threshold and the HCE threshold, which will be raised every three years.

AAHOA AND THE American Hotel & Lodging Association welcomed the passage of the No Hidden FEES Act on June 11. The legislation aims to establish a uniform standard for transparent and mandatory fee displays across the lodging industry. The bill, introduced by Reps. Young Kim (R-California) and Kathy Castor (D-Florida), had unanimous approval from the House Energy & Commerce Committee in December and passed with bipartisan support on the House floor. AAHOA said that the legislation would empower its hotelier members and guests to make informed decisions and safeguard their financial interests.

Miami is a trendy and chic city with many things to offer. It has water sports such as surfing and diving, lots of shopping and luxurious hotels to enjoy a weekend getaway. Also, you can enjoy the trendy nightlife scene, amazing art, and plenty of outdoor activities. Also, there are tons of tasty food options too! The flight experience to Miami is a dream. The distance from Miami's city center to Miami Airport is 6 miles. Another option is FLL which is about 20 miles from the main attractions in the downtown zone. It is accessible from all cities in the main US cities. It's a great spot for beach vacations and also serves as the hub of flights into the Caribbean as well as Mexico. While there are many choices, American, United, and Frontier are the most popular airlines offering cheap flight tickets to Miami.

OKLAHOMA CITY HOTELIER Hemant Shantilal Mistry died on June 23 following an assault in his motel parking lot the previous night. Richard Lewis, 41, was arrested in connection with the attack in which police say he punched Mistry, who died from the impact. Mistry, 59, an AAHOA member, is the second Indo American hotelier this year to die from on-duty violence following the murder of Pravin R. Patel, owner of the Hillcrest Motel in Sheffield, Alabama, in February. A video of the assault has gone viral on social media, showing Mistry in a white t-shirt arguing with Lewis in a sky blue t-shirt. The argument escalates, culminating in Lewis punching Mistry in the face. Mistry collapses as Lewis walks away. Police found Mistry unconscious around 10:00 pm and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he died at 7:40 pm the following day from his injuries, according to a police report.

THE U.S. GENERAL Services Administration announced Wednesday a raise in its standard permissible per diem rates for federal travelers, reaching $166 for fiscal year 2024. This adjustment stems from a year-on-year increment of $9 in the lodging allowance, now set at $107. The rate will be applicable from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2024, GSA said. The per diem guidelines regulate the reimbursement of federal employees' lodging and meal expenses for official government travel. These guidelines involve a $9 increase to the continental U.S. lodging rate, as well as significant rate hikes in multiple non-standard areas. "GSA bases the maximum lodging allowances on historical ADR data, less 5 percent. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented declines in ADR, followed by a volatile hotel industry recovery," GSA said in a statement. "The ADR data available to establish fiscal year 2024 rates was from before the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expired on May 11. Similar to the approach for fiscal year 2023, GSA made upward adjustments to ensure that maximum lodging allowances for federal travelers are sufficient in fiscal year 2024."

Jobs Abroad, Work Abroad, International Jobs Online - Guess was established by the Marciano Brothers, who left the south of France just to reach their American dream. It is an American clothing brand and retailer. Aside from clothing for men and women, it also markets other fashion accessories such as jewelry, perfumes, fashion accessories, and shoes. One of their initial designs was a stonewashed, slim-fitting jean, the 3-zip Marilyn. The first Department Store that welcomes the brand by ordering a dozen pairs of jeans was Bloomingdale. The jeans were all bought in just hours. It was the start of their success.

A NEW SURVEY finds that U.S. travelers are getting the urge to explore and acting on that spur-of-the-moment travel bug as temperatures begin to rise. Around 67 percent of Americans with travel plans this year say that the best trips are spontaneous and decided on a whim, a study by Motel 6 and Studio 6 found. The study, which surveyed more than 2,000 Americans who plan to travel this year, also found that almost three-quarters, or 73 percent, would be willing to visit a surprise destination. "Taking a last-minute getaway is a great way to add some joy into your life," said Julie Arrowsmith, president/interim CEO, G6 Hospitality, parent company of Motel 6 and Studio 6. Traveling distances, with companions According to the survey, seven in 10 (70 percent) U.S. travelers say they are indulging in longer excursions by traveling more than three hours from their hometown. When asked about companions, more than three in four (78 percent) travelers prefer to journey with other people, while almost one in three (28 percent) are planning to explore with pets, it added. Off-season and longer trips With impromptu trips on the rise, more than two in five (44 percent) vacationers admit they are switching up their travel experiences this year. Most notably, the typical "travel season" may be a thing of the past, with almost half (47 percent) indicating that they are just as likely to get away during the off-season or weekdays as opposed to peak times like holidays and weekends. Another 32 percent are taking longer vacations than ever before, the study pointed out.

When we booked our stay at the Provincetown Inn on Cape Cod, little did I know that the first North American landing spot for the Mayflower pilgrims was right across the street from our hotel! I'd always heard that they landed at Plymouth Rock, so it was a delightful surprise to find such a historic site just outside our door.

PEOPLE ARE SHOWING a desire to get back to travel, but within certain limits, according to a Reuters Events Travel webinar. The webinar featured information on the current state of the industry from IHG Hotels & Resorts, Visit California and digital consultancy Appnovation. Whether planning, booking or experiencing a vacation, today's travelers are more cautious than ever and are taking more time to research plans and are using digital tools for it, according to the webinar titled "Destination Experience: Driven by Data, Inspired by Travelers." As many as 41 percent of respondents to a survey from Appnovation cited a readiness to travel out of state or province, while only 19 percent were ready for international trips. Almost half of Americans, 49 percent, are likely to travel out of state and 24 percent are likely to travel internationally. "With data, brands are much better equipped to understand these shifts, and use their marketing tools more effectively. In short, you can't innovate properly until you innovate on your internal processes," said Anton Morrison, vice president of user experience and design, Appnovation.

MORE THAN 109 million people are expected to travel over the Christmas and New Year's holidays, most of them on the road as gas prices drop, according to AAA Travel. The COVID-19 Omicron variant is having an impact, primarily to lower gas prices. The number of travelers going 50 miles or more between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2 is a 34 percent increase from 2020, AAA said in its travel forecast. That extra 27.7 million people traveling brings this year's numbers to 92 percent of 2019 levels. "Americans who canceled their vacations in 2020 want to gather with family and friends for the holidays this year, although they will still be mindful of the pandemic and the new omicron variant," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. "With vaccines widely available, conditions are much different, and many people feel a greater level of comfort with travel." As in years past, driving remains the most popular form of travel, with more than 100 million planning to get behind the wheel. More than 6 million people are expected to travel by air, while 3 million people are booking buses, trains and cruises.

MORE ASSOCIATIONS ARE joining the American Hotel & Lodging Association in protesting the National Labor Relations Board's recently issued final ruling on the definition of joint-employer status. The ruling essentially broadens the definition to any "entity that has an employment relationship with the employees," and AAHOA, AHLA and the other associations say it could damage the current franchise business model. NLRB's new standard, issued last week, defines a joint employer to be any company that shares or codetermines one or more essential terms and conditions of employment. Those include: Wages, benefits, and other compensation. Hours of work and scheduling. The assignment of duties to be performed. The supervision of the performance of duties. Work rules and directions governing the manner, means, and methods of the performance of duties and the grounds for discipline. The tenure of employment, including hiring and discharge. Working conditions related to the safety and health of employees.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association recently renamed its On the Road series of regional events to The Hospitality Show, providing networking opportunities and industry updates to hospitality professionals nationwide. The events enable hoteliers, suppliers, and service providers to connect and stay informed on market data and policies at federal, state, and local levels, AHLA said in a statement. The events, accessible to all individuals in the hospitality industry, will expand The Hospitality Show brand, the primary industry event launched last year, slated for Oct. 28 to 30 in San Antonio, the statement said. "After the phenomenal success of The Hospitality Show last year, we're bringing the best-in-class networking and learning opportunities from this industry-leading event to hospitality professionals in cities all across the country," said Kevin Carey, AHLA's interim president and CEO. "We can't wait to connect with stakeholders from Boston to California."

FIVE PROPERTIES IN the hihotels by Hospitality International portfolio have won the brand's 2023 awards for meeting and exceeding the company's standards of operations. All are Asian American owned. The hihotels 2023 winners are: President's Award - Scottish Inns & Suites in Hitchcock, Texas, owned by Nareshkumar Patel and Tejal Patel. Given to a franchisee who has been loyal to hihotels by Hospitality International, consistently demonstrated a willingness to accept positive change within the hotel industry, and received positive communication from their guests. Gander Award - Red Carpet Inn in Rochester, Minnesota, owned by Veena Patel. Given to a franchisee who embraces their local community in offering sponsorship for local events or teams, participates in charitable events, or embraces the needs of the local community. Named after Gander the service dog from Operation Fetch, a non-profit that performs planned acts of community kindness to further appreciation, education and awareness about service dogs PTSD, and dogs for visible and invisible wounds.

THE U.S. HOUSE of Representatives recently passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the National Labor Relations Board's October ruling on its definition of joint-employer status. The American Hotel & Lodging Association welcomed the resolution, but President Biden has promised to veto it. The NLRB ruling, issued Oct. 26 and due to take effect Feb. 26, defines a joint employer to be any company that shares or codetermines one or more essential terms and conditions of employment. Those include ages, benefits, and other compensation; hours of work and scheduling; the assignment and supervision of duties to be performed; work rules and tenure of employment. The final rule rescinds the 2020 rule that was promulgated by the prior board and applies the new definition of joint employer to any entity that can control the essential terms of employment whether or not such control is exercised and without regard to whether any such exercise of control is direct or indirect. House Joint Resolution 98 would nullify the NLRB's rule.

THE LONGTIME HEAD of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, William "Chip" Rogers, is stepping down from the position "to pursue other professional interests," according to AHLA. The AHLA board of directors appointed Kevin Carey, AHLA's senior executive vice president and COO, as interim president and CEO and is forming a committee to identify potential replacements for Rogers and will be retaining an executive search firm. AHLA said in a statement that more information on its search for Rogers' replacement will be available on its website in the coming weeks. It did not release any more information about why Rogers is stepping down. "We have been able to build one of America's most effective associations over the last five years," said Rogers in the statement. "As I move on to my next chapter, I am truly thankful for the opportunity I had to lead this incredible team and work alongside the industry's best leaders."

CHEF AND HUMANITARIAN José Andrés will deliver the opening keynote at The Hospitality Show on Oct. 28. The three-day event, organized by Questex and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, will take place from Oct. 28 to 30 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Additional speakers and program updates will be announced in the coming months, AHLA said in a statement. In the discussion titled "Changing the World Through the Power of Food," Andrés, a food and hunger advocate, will express his belief that "food is a basic human right," AHLA said. The World Central Kitchen, the non-profit he founded in 2010 to provide food relief after disasters, has delivered over 350 million meals worldwide. Andrés also founded José Andrés Group, which owns restaurants such as the two-Michelin-starred minibar in Washington D.C., Mercado Little Spain in New York City and multiple locations of the Bazaar by José Andrés, the statement said. Andrés popularized Spanish tapas in the U.S. and introduced avant-garde cuisine.

"Visited by more & more tourist all round the year Tenerife is over and over again deem as s full of cheerful sun, smooth sand and beautiful sea destinations for north part of Europeans evading lifeless winters. At the same time as Tenerife's hotels & resorts offer all the amenities intended to make certain tourists have the benefit of a good time. Tenerife's cities, historic townships and countryside villages have a flourishing culture that is as intimately associated to South of America as it is Spain. Consequently Tenerife has much to proffer culture hunters as it does those minimally gazing to make up the tans."

Colombia is the only country South American country which has coastline with the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The country has a diversity of culture, history, land terrain, climate and archeological sites.

American rock band Boys Like Girls dropped by Singapore recently and here's what they have to say about the sunny island!