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U.S. TRAVELERS SAID that gas prices and inflation will impact their summer travel decisions more than COVID-19 concerns, according to a survey commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The survey, conducted by Morning Consult and released just ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend ending May 30, revealed that more than half of the respondents, 57 percent, are likely to take fewer leisure trips and 54 percent will take shorter trips due to current gas prices. The majority of people surveyed, 82 percent, said that gas prices will have at least some impact on their travel destinations.

APPROXIMATELY 71 PERCENT of travelers seek a separate vacation to unwind after family time, according to a recent survey by IHG Hotels & Resorts. The survey found that many respondents prefer to avoid staying with family during their trips as well. Among respondents avoiding stays with friends and relatives, 55 percent expressed a preference for hotels. These travelers gravitate towards simple relaxation activities, with 60 percent opting for a nap, 46 percent preferring a jacuzzi and 42 percent considering a spa day. "The holidays often go hand-in-hand with traveling to see loved ones, but as much as we enjoy visiting friends and family, it can leave us feeling drained," said Connor Smith, IHG's vice president of masterbrand strategy. "When that happens, people want to relax and be taken care of, enjoy a free breakfast from Holiday Inn Express, or have a glass of wine at Kimpton's social hour without worrying about cleaning their room in the morning."

MORE THAN 260 travel industry and business organizations, such as the U.S. Travel Association, urged a repeal of the pre-departure testing requirement for vaccinated international air travelers. The requirement no longer makes sense in the current environment and discourages international travel at a time when a recent survey In a letter to White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha, USTA and its cosigners noted that the economic costs associated with maintaining the measure are significant, with international travel spending 78 percent below 2019 levels. The letter stated that many foreign governments with similar infection, vaccination and hospitalization rates-including the UK, Germany and Canada-have already eliminated pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated travelers.

USING TECHNOLOGY TO enhance the attendee experience remains a key trend for meeting and event planners as they expect meetings volumes to rise, according to a survey. The tech trend is closely followed by a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion and a more casual meeting atmosphere. The 2023 State of the Meetings Industry survey by group hospitality analytics firm Knowland and full-service global meetings solution company, ConferenceDirect, also revealed that staff shortages and inquiry backlogs are impacting service standards as rising costs redefine goals. The survey also pointed out that rising costs may cause planners to change their approach, including looking at new destinations. However, cost leveling, return of business travel, and budget increases will support the industry recovery. According to the survey, more than 70 percent of 2022 events had attendance at, or above, 80 percent of 2019 levels. As many as 75 percent of event planners did not expect the number of events and meetings to drop.

APPROXIMATELY 51 PERCENT of hospitality industry professionals participating in STR's Hospitality Industry Sentiment survey expressed optimism about their business confidence over the next two years. Respondents rated their confidence at "8" or higher on a 10-point scale. Analyzing the results over the survey's first year reveals a gradual, consistent decline in confidence ratings for each time span. Meanwhile, global recession fears have diminished since the last survey, STR said. Among various industry challenges, "concerns regarding a potential recession" saw the most significant drop between the last two surveys, ranking third behind labor costs and supply issues. Energy and utility costs are slightly increasing, while supply chain challenges and group demand issues are gradually diminishing. Regarding hotel performance, outlined trends influence demand forecasting expectations, the survey said. The percentage of respondents anticipating "strong improvement" or "some improvement" is gradually declining across all three hotel demand segments. A majority of experts still foresee growth in both business transient and group demand.

"Travel and Tourism Industry Business Outlook and Procurement Survey H1 2017", report examines executives' opinion on the business outlook and procurement activities over June-November 2017. Organizations can know about key business priorities, supplier price variations, changes in procurement expenditure, and supplier prices with the implementation status of e-procurement within the travel and tourism industry. Additionally, it provides information categorized by region and company type.

A FEDERAL JUDGE in Florida has accomplished what travel and hospitality organizations have been advocating for months: ending a government mask mandate on airplanes and other forms of transportation. While the government had planned to keep the mandates in place until at least May, critics, including the U.S. Travel Association, said it had outlived its usefulness and a recent survey found most travelers agree. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa said in her ruling that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had overstepped its authority in issuing the mask mandate, according to CNBC.com. The Transportation Security Administration later announced it would no longer enforce the mandate, although the CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks on public transit. Several major airlines announced that masks would not longer be required for passengers. Delta Airlines said in a statement that employees and customers could continue wearing masks if they chose. Also, the company said some enforcement of the mandate may continue in the short term as news of the TSA decision is spread, but communications to customers and in-airport signage and announcements would be updated to say that masking is now optional.

Statue of Liberty is very popular for tourists of the world - New York travel magazine, Travel + Leisure, late last year conducted an online survey to look for an icon building a new world's most popular and best. The result, the Statue of Liberty was awarded the prestigious

ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING points are becoming a standard amenity at hotels, akin to the rise of Wi-Fi in the early 2000s. Benefits for the hotel owners and franchisers can include additional revenue, carbon credits as well as attracting guests from the growing number of electric vehicle drivers. A 2022 Green Lodging survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association revealed a surge in the deployment of EV chargers within the hospitality sector, with 26.6 percent of all U.S. hotels equipped with charging stations. The EV charging facilities are more commonly found at luxury hotels (nearly 90 percent offer them), while only about one in five limited-service hotels provides charging, representing significant growth opportunities. Hotel brands such as Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, BWH Hotel Group, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels International, Hyatt Hotel Corp. and G6 Hospitality have prioritized deploying EV charging based on customer preferences. Their franchisees have begun incorporating EV charging infrastructures into their properties. "We've heard from our owners that offering EV charging solutions is increasingly influential for guests when choosing hotels," said Brian McGuiness, IHG's senior vice president of global guest experience. "This is backed by our observation of guests using EVC filters on the IHG One Rewards mobile app and website. Our integrated EV-charger search filter within the IHG One Rewards mobile app allows travelers to easily find properties with EV charging capabilities, empowering them to plan their journeys conveniently and confidently."

Independent surveys have shown that a good number of fliers are not sure about the facilities to look for during air travelling. They just choose the airline on the basis of availability of cheap air tickets and nothing else. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most important factors for air travelling but, definitely not the only one.

The past few decades have witnessed several significant developments in aviation, such as the inception of low-cost carriers and advent of online travel agencies. Besides, reports of a recent survey conducted by a travel safety company reveal that flights are among the safest modes of transport. Now, although flying has been proven to be the safest modes of transportation time and again, still it is always advisable to be aware of certain emergency tips.

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Saint-Tropez has so many incredible beaches, best surveyed from the privacy of a sea view villa. Click to read our list of the best beaches in Saint-Tropez.

According to a recent survey, it is a general notion among travellers that packing is an easy task, which can be attended to at the eleventh hour. However, experienced tourists have a different opinion that it is one of the most significant and tactful aspects, which has to be done smartly before embarking upon a journey in domestic as well as international flights.

The popular low-cost carriers (LCCs) of Indian aviation were the major gainers during the recent discounted sale of tickets. There was no proper disclosure from any of the airlines; however, a survey conducted by leading travel portals threw light upon the fact that online flight booking of IndiGo, leaders in terms of market shares increased the most.

A 3D laser mapping system developed by FIT ESIC has been used to survey hundreds of kilometres of the French railway network on behalf of operator SNCF. Frances Marcellin finds out about the challenges of creating the map and the benefits it will bring to safety and maintenance on the network.

The Airports Council International has revealed the latest results of its annual Airport Service Quality Awards, recognising the world's most customer-friendly airports, based on 600,000 passenger surveys around the world.