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APPROXIMATELY 82 PERCENT of American travelers see sustainable travel as important, with nearly half, 48 percent, viewing it as secondary to trip planning, according to a recent survey by Booking.com. However, roughly 32 percent expressed fatigue towards discussions on climate change. The survey conducted among 31,000 people across 34 countries and territories highlighted the need for collective action to maintain momentum toward a more sustainable travel industry, Booking.com said. "While many travelers have retained a sense of optimism and a desire to have a more positive impact, there is a critical opportunity for the industry to accelerate efforts to make those choices easier for everyone," said Danielle D'Silva, Booking.com's head of sustainability. "It's important that we continue ensuring that more sustainable options are not only readily available, but also easy to trust and understand. That's where we believe further education, clear and consistent standards and credible third-party certification of legitimate sustainable practices across the travel experience can really help. While the signals of consumer frustration should be a concern, it's also a reminder to maintain our focus on the impactful work we know can make a difference not only for travelers, but for communities and destinations everywhere."

TRAVELERS IN 2022 will prioritize reunion and reconnection as the pandemic separated families and friends, according to a report by Hilton. The pandemic has led to several other changes as well, the report found. This year, travelers are expected to care more about sustainability and community efforts, according to Hilton's "The 2022 Traveler: Emerging Trends and the Redefined Traveler" report. They also are looking to remain loyal to brands, companies and organizations that align with their values, according to the report. "People have embraced efficiencies in many aspects of life and will be looking for similar conveniences in their travels, like contactless check-in and check-out and digital keys. With a reimagined workplace and new routines and habits in place, travelers will be looking for more grounding and balance in their travel schedules," the report said. New and refreshed hobbies are leading to a more informed, sophisticated, and, in some cases, in-shape 2022 travelers, the report said. This trend is expected to drive demand for new fitness and culinary options, as well as unique travel experiences.

HOTEL OWNERS NAVIGATING industry changes wrought by the pandemic face no dearth of challenges: the decline in business travel, competition from home rental apps and ongoing labor shortages are just a few. Too often, the people owning the hotels - many of them small business owners - are figuring out how to adapt to the new hospitality landscape with added complications from the hotel brands that should be their partners. While many hotel owners have struggled to maintain their livelihoods since the pandemic began three years ago, some big hotel chain franchisers sold hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of loyalty point value to credit card companies under a system that often fails to adequately reimburse the franchisees. That is the thanks these hardworking franchisees got as they worked hard to keep hotel doors open. It does not have to be this way. Generations of franchise owners have successfully embraced entrepreneurship through the franchising model. Franchising allows budding entrepreneurs to adopt a known brand name and comprehensive business strategies in exchange for a portion of the revenue. This partnership has nurtured our industry: Hotels owned by our members employ 1.1 million Americans and contribute $368 billion to the economy. But the franchising relationship needs to be a two-way street to be truly successful. That is why we must ensure that the franchise industry engages in sustainable practices that recognize and safeguard the contributions of small business owners.