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APPROXIMATELY 70.9 MILLION U.S. travelers are expected to journey 50 miles or more from home over the Independence Day holiday, according to the latest AAA forecast. For the first time, AAA considered the entire week of July 4th, plus the Saturday before and the Sunday after the holiday. This year's projected number of travelers marks a 5 percent increase from 2023 and an 8 percent increase from 2019. "With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day," said Paula Twidale, AAA Travel's senior vice president. "We anticipate this July 4th week will be the busiest ever with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019." AAA estimated a record 60.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day week, an increase of 2.8 million from last year. This year's number also surpasses the 55.3 million who traveled by car over July 4th week in 2019.

From now till September, get ready to party at Universal Studios Singapore's Hollywood After Party every Saturday night! Check out the highlights here!

IRIDESCENT HOTELS OF Dallas has been contracted to manage two more hotels in Texas and Ohio. Iridescent was founded last year by Ash Patel, past chairman of AAHHOA, who leads the company with partner Christopher Puntureri. In the recent contract, Iridescent will manage the 111-room Holiday Inn & Suites San Antonio North Stone Oak in San Antonio, Texas, and the 75-room Red Roof Inn Dayton-Moraine, in Dayton, Ohio, as a third party on behalf of the hotels' owners. The San Antonio Holiday Inn is near San Antonio International Airport and the University of Texas at San Antonio. Also nearby are Microsoft, Baker Hughes, Tesoro, Schlumberger as well as 3 Hospitals which include NE Baptist, Methodist Stone Oak and North Central Baptist. The Red Roof Inn is near the University of Dayton and the University of Dayton Arena with the Industrial Park within walking distance. Additional attractions nearby include the Dayton Mall, Indiana Wesleyan University and the Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Home2 Suites by Hilton Whitestown Indianapolis NW is now open in Whitestown, Indiana. It is owned by the Jetha Group with Sumeet Jetha as president of operations and managed by Hotel Equities. The 107-room hotel is near Grand Park Sports Campus, Indiana Motor Speedway, Amerisource Bergen, Indy Car Exchange and Indianapolis International Airport. Amenities include a combined laundry and fitness area, indoor pool and Digital Key check-in. During its opening weekend, Home2 Suites Whitestown Indianapolis donated all of its proceeds to So Big, an organization that provides assistance to women facing unexpected pregnancies. "We are excited to open our doors to travelers visiting metro Indianapolis and serving our community," said Keith Adkins, the hotel's general manager. "Whitestown and the surrounding area is a great place to visit and stay for a while with an abundance of amenities at your door step, including nearby shopping and dining."

THE U.S. STATE Department has indefinitely extended a program allowing consular offices to waive in-person interviews for low-risk non-immigrant visa applicants who apply within 48 months of their most recent visa's expiration. Initially scheduled to conclude on Dec. 31, the program will now persist without a specified end date, undergoing regular reviews. This policy applies to consular offices globally. Under the updated program rules, the State Department anticipates the pool of applicants eligible for an interview waiver will at least double, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement. From October 2022 to September 2023, the State Department issued a near-record 10.4 million non-immigrant visas worldwide, partly attributed to interview waiver authority. "Interview waiver authorities have significantly reduced visa appointment wait times at embassies and consulates," the State Department said. "In Fiscal Year 2022, almost half of the nearly seven million non-immigrant visas issued by the Department were processed without an in-person interview. This success in reducing global visa wait times, particularly post-pandemic closures, is ongoing, with continued efforts to swiftly minimize wait times, including for first-time tourist visa applicants."

ANOTHER ASIAN AMERICAN developer has signed on to build two properties under Choice Hotels International's upscale Cambria brand. VRL Hotels, led by Victor Patel as president, has signed on to build a Cambria in Gatlinburg and another in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The 140-room Cambria Hotel Gatlinburg hotel is expected to open in 2022. It will feature a rooftop bar and restaurant overlooking the tourist town in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Local attractions include Ober Gatlinburg ski resort, the Gatlinburg SkyLift, which carries passengers 1,800 feet up to the top of Crockett Mountain, and the Gatlinburg Space Needle. Also nearby are Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies and Haunted Adventure, the Rocky Top Sports complex, several bourbon distilleries, breweries and wineries and the Gatlinburg Convention Center. The 140-room Cambria Hotel Pigeon Forge is expected to open in 2024. Nearby attractions include Dollywood amusement park, the Southern Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame and Museum, the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge, Titanic Museum Attraction, NASCAR SpeedPark Smoky Mountains and seasonal outdoor events throughout the year, such as Winterfest. Both hotels will have multi-function meeting and event spaces and fitness centers among other amenities.

Rebecca Trumbo and William Gullion recently joined Greenville-based Auro Hotels as procurement director and vice president of design and construction, respectively. Trumbo previously held procurement roles at Best Western Hotels & Resorts, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Hilton Hotels. Gullion's past positions include president of architecture, design and construction at Virage Creative and vice president of global shared technical services at Hilton Worldwide, Auro said in a statement. "We are excited to welcome Rebecca and William to the Auro Hotels family," said DJ Rama, Auro Hotels' president and CEO. "Their extensive experience and proven track records in the hospitality industry will be invaluable as we continue to drive growth and innovation. We look forward to the significant contributions they will make to our team and the positive impact they will have on our operations and guest experiences."