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THE BUSINESS TRAVEL resurgence in the U.S. significantly impacted the economy in 2022, with every $1 spent returning $1.15 to the U.S. GDP, according to the Global Business Travel Association. The industry also contributed $484 billion to the U.S. GDP in the same year and the association forecasts a further increase in business travel spending for 2024. The study, titled "GBTA U.S. Economic Impact Study: Business Travel's Impact on Jobs and the U.S. Economy," revealed that for every 1 percent growth in business travel, the U.S. economy gains nearly 60,000 jobs, $2.9 billion in wages, $1.2 billion in tax revenue and $4.8 billion in new GDP. "The data shows that business travel is a substantial contributor to the health of the U.S. economy, and therefore also a key driver for the global economy," said Suzanne Neufang, GBTA's CEO. "Business travel supports millions of jobs and delivers billions in tax revenue, which is why it is important for policymakers to consider the impact on the industry when devising economic policies - and for sustainable solutions to be prioritized, funded and developed to help us abate travel's hardest-to-abate sectors."

THE U.S. IS expected to lift its requirement for pre-departure COVID testing by international travelers bound for the country. Travel industry organizations that have been lobbying for ending the test requirement welcomed the decision announced on Friday. Beginning Sunday, fully vaccinated travelers will no longer have to test negative before entering the U.S., according to media reports. After learning of the plan to lift the testing requirement, the U.S. Travel Association, which last month met with White House officials, along with Airlines for America, to make their case against the pre-departure testing said in a statement that the decision was expected to add 5.4 million visitors to U.S. and $9 billion in travel spending through remainder of 2022. "Today marks another huge step forward for the recovery of inbound air travel and the return of international travel to the U.S. The Biden administration is to be commended for this action, which will welcome back visitors from around the world and accelerate the recovery of the U.S. travel industry," said Roger Dow, USTA president and CEO. "International inbound travel is vitally important to businesses and workers across the country who have struggled to regain losses from this valuable sector. More than half of international travelers in a recent survey pointed to the pre-departure testing requirement as a major deterrent for inbound travel to the U.S."

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THE U.S. HOTEL construction pipeline grew 9 percent by both projects and rooms year-over-year, according to the latest U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics. It stood at 5,545 projects with 658,207 rooms at the close of the first quarter of 2023. Meanwhile, the hotel construction pipeline in the top 25 markets in the U.S. also registered year-over-year growth in the first quarter. Dallas had a record 184 projects with 21,810 rooms at the close of the first quarter, followed by Atlanta with 144 projects containing 18,242 rooms, Los Angeles tally stood at 118 projects with 19,066 rooms, Phoenix with 117 projects with 16,100 rooms and Nashville had 115 projects containing 15, 354 rooms, LE report revealed. In another report, LE analysts also detailed the leading franchise companies and their brands in the construction pipeline at the close of the first quarter. Marriott International tops the charts with 1,499 projects containing 181,377 rooms, followed closely by Hilton Worldwide, with a record-high count of 1,436 projects with 161,359 rooms, and then InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) with 809 projects containing 80,679 rooms. Combined, these three franchise companies comprise 68 percent of the projects in the total U.S. pipeline, LE said.

REVPAR FOR U.S. hotels recovered to 83.2 percent of 2019 levels in 2021, according to STR. Also, in December 2021, ADR and RevPAR hit all-time highs. U.S. hotel occupancy in 2021 was 57.6 percent, down 12.6 percent when compared to 2019. ADR for the year was $124.67, down just 4.8 percent from 2019. RevPAR at $71.87, down 16.8 percent when compared to two years ago. "In addition to 2020, U.S. hotel occupancy failed to reach 60 percent for just the second time since 2011," STR said. "On a nominal basis, 2021 ADR was the fourth highest on record. The country's RevPAR level was its second lowest in eight years behind only 2020." According to the report, none of the top 25 markets experienced an occupancy increase last year over 2019. Tampa reported the highest occupancy at 68.4 percent, down 5.2 percent from 2019. The largest ADR increase in 2021 was in Miami, up 14.7 percent to $223.49, compared to 2019. Norfolk/Virginia Beach registered the highest growth in RevPAR, up 7.7 percent to $72.31.

DALLAS LEADS THE U.S. hotel construction pipeline for the fourth consecutive quarter, according to Lodging Econometrics. Among brands, Marriott International led the pipeline. Dallas had a record 173 projects with 20,707 rooms in the second quarter of this year, followed by Atlanta with 140 projects containing 18,131 rooms, Los Angeles with 124 projects with 20,365 rooms, New York, with 113 projects with 19,238 rooms and Phoenix with 108 projects containing 14,964 rooms, Marriott had 1,355 projects with 167,034 rooms, up 4 percent by projects year-over-year, tops the pipeline during the period. The Q2 2022 U.S. Construction Pipeline Trend Report said that major markets and popular tourist destinations in the U.S. reported highest occupancy rates since the pandemic began in early 2020 in the second quarter mainly due to robust leisure travel, group, and international travel. New York City with 78 projects with 13,063 rooms, Atlanta with 25 projects containing 3,905 rooms, Dallas with 25 projects with 3,725 rooms, Phoenix with 23 projects with 4,955 rooms and Los Angeles with 22 projects with 3,606 rooms are the top five markets with the most projects under construction during the end of June. They account for 22 percent of rooms under construction in the U.S.

U.S. HOTEL CONSTRUCTION declined for the seventh consecutive month in June, according to STR. Rooms in construction in New York City and Nashville represent a significant percentage of existing supply in those markets. Though at a slower pace, planning activity increases across the U.S. and developers are showing interest in Miami, Nashville and Phoenix, the report said. According to STR, there are 146,198 rooms under construction in the U.S. in June, down 20.1 percent when compared to same period last year. As many as 178,809 rooms are at final planning during the month, decreased 11.3 percent from last year and 281,190 rooms are at planning phase, an increase of 6.1 percent from June 2021. "The U.S. hotel pipeline continues to decelerate as we enter the second half of the year," said Carter Wilson, senior vice president of consulting, STR. "The continued increases in debt costs combined with the ongoing supply chain disruptions will likely delay projects from breaking ground this year, which will lead to a further decline in rooms in construction. On a national basis, new supply will not be a significant headwind for the future." New York leads the major markets in rooms in construction at 13,568 rooms in June, up 10.8 percent compared to last year, followed by Nashville with 3,939 rooms, up 7 percent, Phoenix with 4,388 rooms, an increase of 6.3 percent over last year, Atlanta with 5,991 rooms, up 5.5 percent and Detroit with 2,382 rooms, an increase of 5.1 percent over June 2021.

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THE PERFORMANCE OF U.S. hotels ended strong in the first quarter with March profit surging across most global regions, according to HotStats. The research firm said stronger revenues, better conversion rates and less worry by travelers about a COVID upsurge drove the first quarter surge in performance. During the quarter U.S. hotels saw an increase in its operating fortunes, according to a blog post on the HotStats website. GOPPAR in March 2022 was up $70 over January 2022 and at $90 was closing in on March 2019's level. It was the highest profit month in the U.S. since February 2020, the last normalized month of performance before COVID-19 reframed the world. ADR growth in the U.S. led the way in recovery with March ADR on a nominal basis was at its highest level since October 2018.

U.S. HOTELS WILL generate $46.71 billion in state and local tax revenue, more than ever before, according to a survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Oxford Economics. Occupancy is expected to continue its recovery, the report said, but challenges remain. Average U.S. hotel occupancy is projected to reach 63.8 percent in 2023, just under 2019's level of 65.9 percent, according to AHLA. However, the labor shortage is expected to continue this year as hotels seek to fill jobs lost in the pandemic. As of December, national average hotel wages were at historic highs of more than $23 an hour and hotel benefits and flexibility are better than ever. Nearly 100,000 hotel jobs are currently open across the nation, according to job search site Indeed. "Hotels are making significant strides toward recovery, supporting millions of good-paying jobs and generating billions in state and local tax revenue in communities across the nation," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "To continue growing, we need to hire more people. Fortunately, there's never been a better time to be a hotel employee, with wages, benefits, flexibility and upward mobility better than ever before."

THE GLOBAL HOTEL construction pipeline achieved unprecedented project counts in the fourth quarter of 2023, led by the U.S. with 5,964 projects and 693,963 rooms, according to Lodging Econometrics. The total pipeline comprises 15,196 projects and 2,367,727 rooms, signaling a remarkable 7 percent increase in projects and a 3percent increase in rooms year-over-year. LE's Q4 2023 Global Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report highlights the dominance of the U.S. and China, which collectively account for 64 percent of all global projects. The U.S. led the global pipeline with 39 percent of total projects. Among the top five cities with the largest construction pipelines, three are in the U.S.: Dallas leads with 193 projects with 22,291 rooms, followed by Atlanta with 151 projects with 18,730 rooms, and Nashville with 123 projects with 16,148 rooms.

About Taste of Sri Lanka Travel Package Valid till 28th Feburary-2015 INCLUSION IN THE TOUR : 1. WELCOME AND GREETINGS AT AIRPORT 2. ACCOMMODATION IN ALL HOTELS MENTIONED ABOVE 3. 1 DBL ROOM WIL BE BOOKED IN EACH HOTEL 4. TRANSPORT BY LUXURY AC HYBRID TOYOTA PRIUS CAR 5. ENGLISH SPEAKING DRIVER GUIDE 6. APT GREETINGS & MEETINGS 7. ALL LOCAL TAXES 8. HONEYMOON AMINITIES INCLUDING BELOW CITY TOURS 9. KANDY CITY TOUR 10. COLOMBO CITY TOUR 11. NUWARA ELIYA CITY TOUR 12. BENTOTA CITY TOUR 13. GALLE CITY TOUR EXCLUSION FROM THE TOUR : 1. VIDEO PERMIT 2. LUNCH + DINNER - SRI LANKA 3. ENTRANCE FEES TO SIGHTSEEING'S 4. EARLY CHECK IN CHARGES 5. LATE CHECK OUT CHARGES 6. WATER SPORTS CHARGES 7. BOAT RIDE CHARGES COMPLIMENTRY SERVICES : 1. FREE LOCAL SIM CARD - SRI LANKA 2. MINNERAL WATER BOTTLES DAILY 3. DISCOUNT VOUCHER AT REVINS HARI BEAUTY SALON LOCATED AT THE PALMS * HOTEL BENTOTA Important Notes: (a) Confirmations of room/s are subject to availability at the time of booking only, we don't guarantee any room/s on any quotation issued (unless where specified) (b) (Leisure Travel & Tours) reserve the right to adjust the rates in case of tariff fluctuation by hotels and any erroneous rates given by the operating team (c) At time of issuing the booking voucher to guests, we request you to put in the picture that "Leisure Travel" shall take into consideration any complain/s (if any) officially reported by them & registered by us in regard to hotel/s or ground services only during their stay i.e. in house & we shall set aside all complain made to us after departure of passenger/s, i.e. from their respective country. ( d ) May Rates change at the time of booking due to conversion of exchange rate.

THE OMICRON VARIANT of COVID-19 has come and, for now, gone, and U.S. hotels are recovering quickly according to STR. The recovery does come after a slight dip in GOPPAR. That dip was a $20 decline in January, but GOPPAR rose to $58.88 in February, the highest since October, according to STR's P&L report for the month. TRevPAR for the month was $169.77, EBITDA PAR was $39.29 and labor costs were $56.63. All also were increases over January. In 2021, U.S. hotel profits reached 52 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to STR. "Following trends in top-line performance, U.S. profitability levels are recovering more quickly from Omicron than with previous variants," said Raquel Ortiz, STR's director of financial performance. "February GOPPAR was roughly 77 percent of the 2019 comparable, but independents (108 percent), luxury (94 percent) and midscale (88 percent) chains were far above the national average. The upper upscale (67 percent) and upscale (70 percent) segments are where the largest deficits persisted.

THE BAIRD/STR HOTEL Stock Index dropped 2.4 percent to 5,600, influenced by increasing interest rates affecting both real estate stocks and investor sentiment, according to STR. Moreover, U.S. hotel demand saw a 1.3 percent decrease in October, linked in part to a calendar shift. This marks the third consecutive month of stock decline after a surge in July. "Hotel stocks declined for the third straight month in October, aligning with broader market trends," said Michael Bellisario, senior hotel research analyst and director at Baird. "Elevated interest rates continued to drive performance, with real estate stocks bearing the brunt. Hotel REITs stood out as relative outperformers. The global hotel brands experienced a roughly 2 percent decrease, closely mirroring the S&P 500's retreat in October." In October, the Baird/STR Index fell behind the S&P 500, down 2.2 percent, but surpassed the MSCI US REIT Index, down 4.5 percent.

U.S. HOSPITALITY SECTOR has consistently maintained the highest quit rates by workers among all industries, consistently exceeding 4.5 percent since July 2021, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. However, the leisure and hospitality sector maintained the highest hiring rate among all industries, fluctuating between 6 percent and nearly 19 percent. These industries saw a loss of 837 thousand workers in September, yet 1.1 million individuals were hired into the industry during the same month. This hiring rate exceeds the national average, which was 3.7 percent in September 2023, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said in its latest report titled Understanding America's Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries. The latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a positive influx of individuals into the workforce.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S new National Travel and Tourism Strategy sets a 5-year goal of attracting 90 million international visitors to the U.S. each year. Two major associations in the U.S. hospitality industry applauded the strategy as a step forward in restoring the travel industry. The new tourism strategy aims to support broad-based economic growth in the travel and tourism industry across the U.S. AAHOA thanked the U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and the Tourism Policy Council for their continued leadership and support. "[An expected] 90 million international visitors will drive strong economic growth," said Laura Lee Blake, president and CEO, AAHOA. "The $279 billion in annual estimated spending by these visitors will help not only the hotel and hospitality industry, but also the entire American economy. We commend Secretary Raimondo's new National Travel and Tourism Strategy, and welcome her efforts to aggressively rebuild U.S. travel and tourism."

FRENCH HOTEL CHAIN B&B Hotels launched its U.S. expansion with the opening of its first property in Orlando, Florida. The 218-room hotel, located near Universal Studios, will be followed by additional hotels in Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. The mid-scale brand plans to establish 400 hotels across the U.S. within the next 10 years, representing $4 billion in real estate value, B&B Hotels said in a statement. "We are thrilled to bring B&B HOTELS to the United States and to offer travelers affordable high-quality accommodations," said Valerio Duchini, B&B Hotels' U.S. CEO. "We're also eager to engage with real estate investors here who share our vision for growth. Drawing from our success in Europe, we aim to establish ourselves as a prominent player in the U.S. market." B&B Hotels rebrands existing properties and constructs new ones, the company said. Batipart, a private equity firm based in Luxembourg, partnered with B&B Hotels for the Orlando property, with plans to renovate the hotel to improve the guest experience.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT may have expanded an immigrant visa program that can bring more workers to the U.S. to ease the labor shortage but processing those visas may still be delayed due to a pandemic-related backlog. A group of lawmakers recently wrote a letter to the Department of State urging the agency to bring that processing back to pre-COVID levels. The letter, sent by Reps. Darren Soto, a Florida Democrat, and Peter Meijer, a Michigan Republican, along with 86 other Congress members says visa processing has been slowed by procedures put in place at the beginning of the pandemic but which are no longer needed because testing and vaccines are so readily available. "[Pandemic restrictions] disrupt the reopening of American businesses. According to the U.S. Travel Association, international visitor spending in the U.S. dropped by 76 percent in 2020, leading to the loss of $141 billion and 1.1 million American jobs," the letter said. the letter said. "As international and domestic travel begin to recover, many travel businesses rely on H-2B and J1 visas to meet short-term and seasonal workforce demands that cannot otherwise be filled. With such a significant portion of U.S. visa processing sites fully or partially closed, travel businesses will not have the international visitors or the temporary workers they need to generate a speedy and robust recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic."