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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."

NEARLY HALF OF travelers, or 49 percent, have already taken an international trip, according to a survey by travel risk and crisis response provider Global Rescue. That indicates an 88 percent jump in travel abroad since summer of 2021. The Winter 2022 Global Rescue Travel Safety and Sentiment survey has also revealed that domestically, 85 percent of respondents have already traveled, signaling an 18 percent increase during the period. The survey of more than 1,400 respondents between Jan. 25 to 29 found that nine out of 10 travelers are "much less or less" concerned about travel since the pandemic, showing a 22 percent increase in travel confidence. "All signals are pointing to the beginning of the end of international travel restrictions due to the pandemic. Countries like New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and others are opening their borders as severe COVID-19 illnesses and hospitalizations decline, vaccinations increase and testing is more convenient. Domestic travel continues to increase but the big news is that travel abroad is surging," said Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue. "When people feel safe, they travel and we are seeing tremendous, positive change in the traveler confidence about their well-being."

HOTEL WEB SOLUTIONS provider Websrefresh recently received the Lawyer International Award for Best Web Design & Web Development Company of the Year for Arizona. The U.K.-based Lawyer International recognizes firms and individuals globally based on their individual areas of specialization within their geographical location. Recipients of the awards are judged by a panel of in-house counsel in the banking and private equity sectors along with public and private corporations, according to Lawyer International's website. Criteria include client retention, speed of response and assistance, and the ability to navigate complex situations while ensuring that clients are not concerned about or unsure of the outcome. "The winners, quite simply, represent those firms and individuals that are instrumental to the businesses that engage them, thus ensuring a swift, positive outcome is always achieved," Lawyer International said on its website. "These firms and individuals continually go above and beyond, always providing a high degree of demonstrable evidence which is consistent with positive comments from both clients and peers."

Brian Leaf is now vice president and head of internal sales for Peachtree Hotel Group's broker-dealer affiliate Peachtree PC Investors. Previously, he was vice president for capital markets. Leaf joined Atlanta-based Peachtree in 2017, prior to which he was an internal wholesaler at Inland Securities Corp. in Oak Brook, Illinois. Before then he was a property manager for Colliers International in Atlanta. He has a bachelor's degree in business administration and real estate from the University of Georgia and holds the FINRA Series 7, 24 and 63 securities licenses.

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES of 2020, hihotels by Hospitality International added 18 properties throughout the U.S. Most are conversions owned by Asian American hoteliers. The five hihotels brands include Red Carpet Inn, Scottish Inns, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn. Hospitality International said the brands' franchising model includes customized support, advanced technology and overall value. "Last June, we announced a new branding identity for the company that expanded franchisee services and development opportunities and refocused our goal of becoming the best choice for economy hotel franchising. The response has been tremendous and we look forward to building on this great momentum in 2021," said Chris Guimbellot, hihotels president and CEO.

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL has become the second hotel company to withdraw its support for AAHOA over the association's 12 Points of Fair Franchising. Specific reasons for the split remain unclear, but AAHOA said it was due to the association's "united front behind fair franchising principles." Like Marriott International in January, Choice has informed AAHOA it will not participate in the upcoming AAHOA Convention & Trade Show, according to a LinkedIn.com post from Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA's president and CEO, as well as a member alert from Nishant "Neal" Patel, AAHOA chairman. "As a result of AAHOA's united front behind fair franchising principles, and for doing exactly what this organization was created to do, I'm writing to inform you that Choice Hotels International has chosen to pause its partnership with AAHOA, including to not attend the industry's upcoming largest convention and trade show," said both alerts. "AAHOA has enjoyed a successful, long-term relationship with Choice, and we're disappointed to hear that because of AAHOA's support for increased fairness and transparency, and for wanting to engage in dialogue on tough issues, Choice no longer wants to be involved."

INTEGRITY INTERNATIONAL GROUP, led by Tony Matharu, has acquired two properties in London: Atlas House and Crescent buildings. Atlas House, a Grade II-listed building, is situated at the junction of King Street, Queen Street, and Cheapside, while the Crescent is located adjacent to Tower Suites by Blue Orchid Hotels. Both Atlas House and the Crescent will join the Blue Orchid Hospitality brand, part of Integrity, Integrity said in a statement. Meanwhile, the company recently restructured its Garage Hotels Group, the statement said. "The recent acquisition of Atlas House and the Crescent portfolio demonstrates our continued commitment to invest in and breathe new life into London property, particularly those buildings at the end of their previous lives, ensuring that London remains the best place to live, work, visit, and invest," Matharu said. "The team at Integrity International Group has unrivalled expertise in ac

The Restoring Brand USA Act took another step toward passage, clearing the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill would renew the program aimed at promoting international travel to the U.S. Brand USA has generated $56 billion to the U.S. economy since 2013 and supported more than 45,000 jobs each year, according to Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, a sponsor of the bill. The program is funded by international visitors and private contributions, and the decline in international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a loss of that funding, Bilirakis said. The bill would direct the Treasury Department to allow this program to access critical resources, funded by foreign traveler visa fees, for the next few years. "The travel and tourism industry was one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic. As we seek to restore our way of life and fully recover, we cannot overlook the work that must be done to renew this powerful engine of economic growth for communities across the nation," Bilirakis said. "Brand USA has proven itself as a successful catalyst for spurring tourism to the U.S. We need that catalyst now more than ever to help rebuild the industry and spur job growth. Common sense solutions like this will help boost the economy and help get us moving in the right direction."

DALLAS-BASED INVESTMENT firm NewcrestImage will acquire four LaQuinta-branded hotels in a joint venture between Highgate and Cerberus. The properties, with 696 rooms total, include the LaQuinta Inn & Suites at Los Angeles International Airport that is NewcrestImage's first gateway location in California. The company, led by Mehul Patel as managing partner and CEO, also has received the Partnership Circle Award from Marriott International, a statement said. NewcrestImage closed on the LaQuinta Inn & Suites Irving DFW North, located two miles from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, on July 14. It expects to close in August on the other three hotels, including the LaQuinta Inn & Suites LAX, as well as LaQuinta Inn & Suites Anaheim and LaQuinta Inn Phoenix North. "These properties are uniquely-positioned in strategic destination locations, making them very appealing as we structure a strong investment-based portfolio," Patel said. Mahmood Khimji, Highgate's managing principal, said the four hotels are "well-located and well-positioned." "We are excited to expand our activities with Mehul and the talented NewcrestImage team, along with our friends at Wyndham - all of whom share Highgate's commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences and operational results," Khimji said.

THE 3RD EDITION of the Vadilal International Gujarati Film Festival brought the red carpet to the Atlanta area on May 20 to 22. Hundreds of members of the local Gujarati community turned out for the event, which featured appearances from major stars and filmmakers straight from India. IGFF, previously held in Los Angeles and New Jersey, set up this time at the Venture Cinema in Duluth. It's mission, apart from entertainment, is to spread awareness one of India's alternatives to Bollywood. This year's festival includes 14 feature films, such as "21st Tiffin," "Divaswapna," "Dhummas," "Gandhi & Co.," "Dear Father" and "Gujarat nu Gaurav"; two documentary feature films, "Sur Shabdnu Sarnamu" and "Shrimad Rajchandra"; five documentary film, such as "Okhamandal - Ek Anokhu Andolan" and "Gandhi"; a short film, "Roha Fort - Ek Visaraati Viraasat"; and six web series, such as "Benaqaab," "Ghaat" and "Yamraj Calling."

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.

U.S. HOTEL REVPAR is expected to grow steadily in 2024, driven by improving group business, inbound international travel, and traditional transient business demand, according to CBRE. This follows a strong performance in 2023 that muted the new forecast in some areas. The research firm forecasted a 3 percent increase in RevPAR growth in 2024, with occupancy improving by 45 basis points and ADR increasing by 2.3 percent. It indicates ongoing recovery of the lodging industry, with RevPAR in 2024 expected to surpass 2019 levels by 13.2 percent, CBRE Hotels said in a statement. CBRE's baseline forecast expects 1.6 percent GDP growth and 2.5 percent average inflation in 2024. Given the strong correlation between GDP and RevPAR growth, the economy's strength will directly impact the lodging industry's performance, the statement said. "We expect RevPAR growth to be slower in the first quarter due to last year's strong performance, but to reach its peak in the third quarter driven by the influx of inbound international travelers during the busy summer season," said Rachael Rothman, CBRE's head of hotel research and data analytics. "Urban and airport locations should particularly benefit from group and inbound international travel, as well as the normalization of leisure travel."

The Hambantota International Airport (HIA), also known as Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), is the second international airport in Sri Lanka. The airport is named after the country's President, Mahinda Rajapaksa. The airport is located in Hambantota city, 241km southeast of Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo, and is operated by Sri Lanka's Airport and Aviation Services.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL IS withdrawing its support for AAHOA in opposition to the association's 12 Points of Fair Franchising, according to an alert to AAHOA members. Indications of the split began in July, when a letter to this effect was circulated but not confirmed, and AAHOA said its efforts to make the situation right in the meantime have failed. The AAHOA member alert also said Marriott had expressed opposition to AAHOA's support for legislation proposed last year in the New Jersey legislature that would strengthen protections for franchise businesses in the state, including hotels. In its alert, attributed to Neal Patel, chairman of AAHOA, said most hotel franchisers did not take issue with the association's support for the New Jersey legislation nor the 12 Points. "Many of our other hotel brand partners have taken an open-minded and collaborative approach to fair franchising. We appreciate their willingness to work together to ensure better outcomes for AAHOA members, the industry, and hotel customers," Patel said. "However, we wanted to inform you that Marriott International - one of our longtime brand partners - has decided to take a different position."

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL has completed its acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas for $675 million. The transaction includes Radisson's franchise business, operations and intellectual property. The merger, which was announced in June, will add Radisson's nine brands to Choice, bringing it to 624 hotels. "With the close of this transaction, Choice Hotels International has added approximately 67,000 rooms, expanding its presence in the higher revenue upper upscale and upscale full-service segments, and bolstering its core upper-midscale hospitality segment, particularly in the West Coast and Midwest of the U.S.," the company said in a statement. As part of the transaction, which covers properties in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean as well as the U.S., Choice will independently own and control the brands in the Americas and will work with Radisson to drive the growth, continuity and success of the brands, according to a joint press release from the companies. Choice's board of directors unanimously approved the transaction, and it was expected to close in the second half of 2022. It was funded by cash on hand and revolver borrowings and includes 10 Radisson Blu hotels, 130 Radisson hotels, 9 Radisson Individuals, 1 Park Plaza hotel, 4 Radisson RED hotels, 453 Country Inn & Suites by Radisson and 17 Park Inn by Radisson hotels, as well as the recently launched Radisson Inn & Suites and Radisson Collection brands.

In our exclusive Leadership Series interview, Pat Pacious, president and CEO of Choice Hotels International, reflects on his organization's relationship with AAHOA, his opposition to the proposed New Jersey State legislation on fair franchising and why Asian hoteliers are still important to the company. In the end, he said, it's about keeping state governments out of a dialogue that should be held between franchisers and their franchisees regarding subjects such as selling loyalty points and revenue from preferred vender programs. Pacious also discussed other key topics in the conflict between AAHOA and several large hotel companies, including Choice as well as Marriott International. Also in the interview, held at Choice's recent 67th Owner & Franchisee Convention in Las Vegas, Pacious discusses topics addressed at the convention, such as Choice's recent acquisition of Radisson Hotels Americas. He also comments on the company's offering to current and future franchisees and the importance of Asian American owners. 'This is not about fair franchising' In February, Choice announced it would "pause its partnership" with AAHOA, according to an alert to AAHOA members. AAHOA said Choice's decision came in response to AAHOA's 12 Points of Fair Franchising and its public support for New Jersey Assembly Bill A1958, which would make changes to the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act. Prior to Choice's action, Marriott had announced it was withdrawing its support for AAHOA for the same reason, and both companies chose not to attend the 2023 AAHOA Conference and Trade Show in Los Angeles in early April. Other companies, including Hilton and IHG Hotels & Resorts, also did not attend.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY is March 8, and hotel owners and large hospitality companies are taking time to make sure the women in the industry are reaching their full potential. Recent data shows women are improving their position in the industry, but more remains to be done. For California hotelier Sunil "Sunny" Tolani, that means giving female employees at his company, The Prince Organization, special training and time off for health care. For Tina Burnett, recently promoted chief development officer at G6 Hospitality, home company of Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, it means making sure women are included in the same way as their male colleagues. "At our company, we believe women to be just as smart and capable as men-if not more so and there are intelligent and highly competent," Tolani said. "The traits generally associated for good hospitality as good social skills, warmth, compassion, expressiveness, generosity and altruistic impulses. We are focusing on the next generation of women hoteliers and convey to them that really extraordinary careers can be made in our widely diverse Hospitality industry."

HIHOTELS BY HOSPITALITY International announced the winners of its 2021 awards. These awards recognized six properties and a vendor in meeting and exceeding the company's standards of operations last year, the company said. "Last year was very challenging again for the hospitality industry, so it was truly inspiring to see so many of our franchisees show such tremendous resilience and determination to succeed. I'd like to commend every one of our award winners and nominees for going above and beyond and showing great pride in what they do," said Chris Guimbellot, president and CEO at hihotels.

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.

MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL RECENTLY picked the Agilysys point-of-sale platform, InfoGenesis, as an option for its hotels throughout the U.S. and Canada. Marriott's luxury, premium and select tiers hotels in both countries can now use the platform for guest-facing and staff-facing operations in F&B, retail and activity centers at each property. Agilysys is led by CEO Ramesh Srinivasan. InfoGenesis consolidates guest and staff purchasing transactions onto a single comprehensive cloud platform tailored for the hospitality industry, Agilysis said in a statement. InfoGenesis POS integrates with Marriott property management systems, furnishing front desk operators with detailed POS transactional information aimed at enhancing operational efficiency. "Marriott International is a globally admired organization and we look forward to offering properties across the U.S. and Canada the opportunity to leverage our enterprise-grade InfoGenesis omnichannel point-of-sale technology platform," said Srinivasan.