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INTERNATIONAL INBOUND TRAVEL is expected to slow down in the fall after surging over the summer, according to the latest U.S. Travel Association forecast. USTA also expects it may take until 2025 for the travel segment to recover to pre-pandemic levels. Inbound travel recovery picked up in summer and reached a pre-pandemic high of 35 percent below 2019 levels in July 2022, said U.S. Travel Association. It improved from a 41 percent decrease in May and declines of more than 50 percent earlier in 2022. The latest report by Aaron Szyf, economist, USTA, said that inbound travel recovery continued from Europe and Latin America in the past few months, which was 22 percent below 2019 levels in July. Meanwhile, Asian markets declined 66 percent in July, largely due to stagnation from China and a very slow return from Japan.

KEN GREENE IS leaving his position as president and CEO of AAHOA to begin a new job with Dallas-based IBF Hospitality. AAHOA already has begun searching for his replacement. Greene will leave on Feb. 11, according to a statement. He was brought on last year in June to replace Cecil Staton, AAHOA's former president and CEO when he left the association unexpectedly. "Ken has been instrumental in carrying AAHOA through the past several months, which brought on a lot of change both at AAHOA and in our industry," said AAHOA Chair Vinay Patel. "We're grateful for the time he's spent at AAHOA and wish him nothing but continued success as he transitions to another opportunity." While at AAHOA, Greene oversaw the association's return to in-person events, including the 2021 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas in August. He also helped in write AAHOA's strategic plan and helped restaff the organization after the departure of Staton, the association's executive vice president and COO Rachel Humphrey and others.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT of Justice will appeal the recent court ruling that overturned a federal mask mandate on public transportation. In response, the U.S. Travel Association said that the mandate is simply out of step with the current public health landscape. Last week, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa ruled that the CDC had overstepped its authority in issuing the mask mandate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the DOJ to appeal the ruling. In a statement on April 20, the CDC said that an order requiring masking in the indoor transportation corridor remains necessary for the public health. CDC will continue to monitor public health conditions to determine whether such an order remains necessary, it added.

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.

THE U.S. GENERAL Services Administration announced Wednesday a raise in its standard permissible per diem rates for federal travelers, reaching $166 for fiscal year 2024. This adjustment stems from a year-on-year increment of $9 in the lodging allowance, now set at $107. The rate will be applicable from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2024, GSA said. The per diem guidelines regulate the reimbursement of federal employees' lodging and meal expenses for official government travel. These guidelines involve a $9 increase to the continental U.S. lodging rate, as well as significant rate hikes in multiple non-standard areas. "GSA bases the maximum lodging allowances on historical ADR data, less 5 percent. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented declines in ADR, followed by a volatile hotel industry recovery," GSA said in a statement. "The ADR data available to establish fiscal year 2024 rates was from before the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expired on May 11. Similar to the approach for fiscal year 2023, GSA made upward adjustments to ensure that maximum lodging allowances for federal travelers are sufficient in fiscal year 2024."

TRAVEL INDUSTRY LEADERS are continuing their press of federal officials and the Biden Administration to end pre-departure testing for COVID-19 by vaccinated international air travelers bound for the U.S. This time they went directly to the White House. On May 24, representatives from the U.S. Travel Association and Airlines for America met at the White House to make their case that pre-departure testing is no longer required at this stage in the pandemic. USTA and other organizations have been lobbying the White House persistently for the past few months to take the step, and in May they sent a letter to White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha saying the requirement is discouraging international travelers. Roger Dow, USTA president and CEO, reiterated that point after last week's meeting.

Lisa Jordan, the senior director of digital marketing at Red Roof, has been named one of the top 25 extraordinary minds in sales, marketing, revenue optimization, and distribution for 2023 by The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. She will be recognized at a special reception in New York in February. This recognition is part of HSMAI's 21st annual compilation, acknowledging exceptional achievement and leadership in the field, Red Roof said in a statement. "We celebrate HSMAI's 2023 class of Top 25 honorees in hotel sales, marketing, revenue optimization, and distribution with great admiration," said Robert Gilbert, president and CEO of HSMAI. "Through their creativity, dedication, and impact, these professionals not only excel in their respective fields but have set benchmarks of excellence for the industry, inspiring us all."

PINAL PATEL WAS elected secretary of AAHOA in the culmination of 2024 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show held this week in Orlando. New members of the association's board of directors also were elected and new industry partners were announced. Pinal, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, defeated H.K. "Hare Krishna" Patel for the secretary position. He was born in Bardoli, India, and his family moved to the U.S. in 1984 when he was 2, according to AAHOA. They lived in Nashville, Tennessee, Pinal said his parents did not speak any English when they brought him and his 1-year-old brother to America. Pinal's parents bought their first independent hotel in 1991, and he is a second-generation hotelier even after graduating flight school at Embry Riddle in Daytona Beach, Florida, before buying his first franchise property. Previously, he has served as an AAHOA ambassador and as AAHOA's director at large Eastern Division. "Hard work definitely pays off," Patel said. "I'm going to make sure we do what's right for the association and for the members. I promise to all my supporters, my family, and my fellow members that I will not let you down. I will do what's best for the association's interests."

NOBLE INVESTMENT GROUP has announced leadership promotions across its investment, capital markets, finance, and asset management teams - reflecting the firm's continued commitment to the professional development and advancement of its talented and long-tenured team. According to a company statement, Dan Konzelmann is promoted to vice president and will be responsible for executing strategies across Noble's investment platforms. Emily Feeney has been promoted to senior director and will look after financing new asset acquisitions, managing capital market relationships and asset sales. Jeff Pennington is elevated as senior director and will be in charge for internal and external reporting, fund modeling, and valuations. Bo Zhang has been promoted to senior associate, and will be responsible for information, data, and analytics for our asset management team and investment management strategies, the statement added. "We are extremely proud of these Noble leaders and their well-deserved promotions," said Mit Shah, Noble CEO. "We look forward to their continued growth and contributions to the success of our organization as we expand and execute the depth and breadth of our investment strategies."

THE CITY OF Los Angeles is not doing enough to regulate short-term rental properties, according to AAHOA and a report from local advocacy group Better Neighbors LA. Both groups say the city should do more to enforce its existing 2019 ordinance on home sharing apps such as Airbnb and Vrbo. Los Angeles' ordinance requires short-term rentals to register and sets other regulations on home sharing apps. However, the Better Neighbors report found that the city's enforcement of the ordinance has been dropping since 2022, evidenced by a 54 percent decrease in warning letters, an 85 percent decrease in fines and a 25 percent increase in non-compliant listings. "Every year we put out an annual report that gives a snapshot of how enforcement is going in the city of Los Angeles, how many short-term rentals exist, and how that's changed from the prior year. This year, we've found that non-compliance is up," Allison Kriste, a representative of Better Neighbors Los Angeles, said in an interview with the Santa Monica Mirror newspaper. "We found a high rate of non-compliance across the boards in the city of Los Angeles. In addition, we've also found that enforcement activity is down. We're identifying more non-compliant listings, as compared to last year. The city is issuing fewer warning letters, they're issuing fewer fines. They're not doing a whole lot."

FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL Ashley Moody is targeting fake postings offering vacation rental properties. The state's campaign against these specific scams plays into AAHOA's call for more short-term rental regulation, the association said. The scams involve fake postings offering vacation rental properties with requests for application fees or security deposits, according to Moody's office. Victims of the scam pay the deposit, only to find the listing has disappeared and so has the deposit money. The would-be vacationers often show up at the property and find that the actual owners have no record or intention of renting. "Florida is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the nation," Moody said. "Scammers will take advantage of this by creating fake vacation rental listings in hopes of stealing personal information and money. Whether you are traveling within the state or from out of state, make sure to take extra precautions when renting a vacation home to avoid being burned this summer vacation season."

A LETTER APPEARING to be from Marriott International stating that the company was "re-evaluating" its official relationship with AAHOA over the association's new stance on franchise relations is causing some disruption on social media. Marriott and AAHOA have not responded to repeated requests for comment on the letter, but in an email to members AAHOA Chairman Neal Patel said the letter is a draft and the company and association are still in negotiations. The letter specifically cites AAHOA's request that the company reassess its franchising policies in light of AAHOA's recently released "12 Points of Fair Franchising." Also, it mentions AAHOA's support for New Jersey's proposed Assembly Bill 1958 that would make changes to the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act similar to the guidelines laid out in the 12 Points. "Ultimately, Marriott cannot support, either by endorsement and/or financially, any organization that is in direct opposition to our business model and interests," Marriott said in the letter. "We believe quite strongly that the longstanding relationship between Marriott and AAHOA has proven to be mutually beneficial, and we are deeply saddened that AAHOA has chosen to pivot its stance on these key issues in a way that is decidedly anti-franchising and anti-Marriott (especially since, as the AAHOA leadership shared with us in a recent meeting, neither AAHOA's leaders nor its members have any material issues with Marriott's approach to franchising or to our franchisees)."