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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 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."

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."

PEACHTREE GROUP, THE newly formed affiliate of Peachtree Hotel Group created last week to handle its real estate investments, is launching its first initiative, the 1031 Exchange Delaware Statutory Trust program. The company also selected Tim Witt as president over the new program. A DST is a single-purpose entity qualified for Section 1031 real estate exchanges, according to Peachtree. It allows investors to exchange replacement properties without incurring taxable gain on the sale of previously owned assets. Peachtree's 1031 Exchange DST program will invest in institutional-grade hotels in the U.S. through Peachtree Hospitality Management, another division of Peachtree, is expected to operate any properties acquired as part of the exchange. "As we expand our array of high-quality, diversified investment strategies, we wanted to create 1031 Exchange DSTs to provide tax deferral strategies in the hospitality sector," said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's CEO and managing principal. "We anticipate significant growth and appreciation in the hospitality sector, driving values above pre-pandemic levels. Also, real estate offers an excellent alternative investment channel for those seeking an inflation hedge. We strongly believe hospitality is the most investable asset in the market today, and we anticipate being able to achieve outsized returns."

VISION HOSPITALITY GROUP will celebrate its 25th anniversary in April. The company, led by Mitch Patel as president and CEO, is now making plans for the next quarter century. Founded in 1997, Vision Hospitality began with a Homewood Suites by Hilton, Chattanooga/Hamilton Place Patel developed in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the company is still headquartered. Then, as the U.S. economy struggled to overcome the 9/11 attacks of 2001, Patel went on to develop 10 more hotels. "Here, VHG learned agility and how to pivot, gaining a deeper understanding of how to successfully adapt to the ebb and flow of the hospitality and financial industries," the company said in a statement. "These lessons, along with a solid foundation of core values - dedication, integrity, respect, excellence, community, teamwork, and spirit - were the guiding principles that led to continued growth through the Great Recession and the unprecedented challenges of the last few years."

THE LEISURE AND hospitality sector saw some job growth in December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' December employment report. Not enough, however, according to the U.S. Travel Association, meaning more federal aid is needed. The sector added 53,000 jobs during the month, according to the BLS data. The overall economy added 199,000 jobs. "Leisure and hospitality has added 2.6 million jobs in 2021, but employment in the industry is down by 1.2 million, or 7.2 percent, since February 2020," the report said. "Employment in food services and drinking places rose by 43,000 in December but is down by 653,000 since February 2020." However, the report indicates that the recovery is uneven, said Tori Emerson Barnes, USTA's executive vice president of public affairs and policy, in a statement. December's performance was the second-worst since January 2021, she said. "The small gains made are not enough to propel the sector toward a larger recovery, as more than 7 percent of all L&H jobs remain lost compared to just 2 percent for the rest of the U.S. economy," Barnes said. "As the spread of the omicron variant continues to impact travel, there remains a pressing need for Congress to provide additional federal relief and stabilizing policies that will enable the return of business travel, professional meetings and events, and international inbound travel."

THE U.S. TRAVEL Association is urging Congress to implement short-term priorities to stimulate leisure and hospitality sector as 61 percent or nearly two-thirds, of all jobs still lost due to the pandemic are in this segment. The revised job data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the past several months confirmed that 10 percent of leisure and hospitality jobs now remain lost. "While the overall jobs report may be good news for some, the revised BLS data now confirms an even bigger revelation," said Tori Emerson Barnes, USTA executive vice president of public affairs and policy, in a statement. "The uneven recovery of the travel sector is due in large part to the lack of inbound international travelers, and the deep reduction in business travel and professional meetings and events. There could not be a more pressing time to support this vital contributor to the U.S. economy and rebuild American jobs."

ASIAN HOSPITALITY IS A B2B NEWS MAGAZINE AND WEBSITE THAT COVERS THE U.S. HOTEL INDUSTRY. OUR NICHE READERSHIP AND TARGET MARKET ARE INDIAN AMERICAN HOTELIERS, WHO OWN MORE THAN HALF OF THE HOTELS IN AMERICA. THE COMMUNITY OF HOTELIERS IS AMONG THE MOST AFFLUENT GROUP BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE U.S., WITH AN ESTIMATED $35 BILLION IN BUYING POWER. ASIAN HOSPITALITY uniquely provides editorial in Gujarati, the language spoken by most Asian American hoteliers who have roots in Gujarat, India. Its sister publication, PRIYA, is the business magazine for entrepreneurial women. In Indian American hotel businesses, women make most of the buying decisions. They also have carved their own paths to business success, leading family enterprises and starting their own ventures. The next generation of the Asian American hotelier community is made up of highly educated and experienced women and men who are eager to take hotel development and operations to the next level. ASIAN HOSPITALITY is with them every step of the way.

THE CHARITY WING of American Hotel & Lodging Association, the AHLA Foundation, announced merger with the Castell Project to strengthen and accelerate the industry's commitment to elevate women in hospitality. Castell Project is a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women to the highest levels within the hospitality industry. As part of the merger, both the entities will focus on facilitating leadership development for current and prospective women in the industry, according to AHLA. They also will strengthen the college talent pipeline through mentorships and exposure to career paths and engagement with the future workforce. The two merged organizations hope to help more women become speakers and leaders through AHLA's ForWard: Advancing Women in Hospitality and other industry events and expanding a speakers' bureau of hospitality leaders who are women, besides conducting ongoing research related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including women in hospitality leadership and diversity benchmarking.

Nakul Anand, former executive director of ITC Hotels, has been named chairman of the advisory board for Tricone Luxury Hotels, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Tricone Engineers. Anand brings four decades of hospitality experience. He will oversee the company's continued growth in India, Tricone said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome Nakul Anand to our team," Alok Aggarwal, Tricon Luxury Hotels' CEO, said in an article on ANI. "His unparalleled expertise in the hospitality industry will be instrumental in shaping our company's vision and integrating sophisticated hospitality services and sustainability initiatives into our hotels and real estate projects." Tricone Luxury Hotels recently executed memorandums of understanding with Indian hotel brands and acquired land for a real estate project in Alibaug near Mumbai, which will be marketed soon. The company is set to launch luxury hotels and hospitality-oriented real estate projects in Alibaug.

THREE MAJOR U.S. hospitality firms have donated $1 million to the No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund by the American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation to support human trafficking prevention and survivors, a statement said. The Hyatt Hotels Foundation donated $500,000 to the fund and the G6 Hospitality and Extended Stay America gave a combined $500,000 to the initiative, AHLA said in a statement. The fund supports economic stability for survivors of human trafficking. It also provides advance training and education to prevent human trafficking within the industry. A representative from the Hyatt Hotels Foundation will serve as co-chair of the No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council. "We recognize the potential of human trafficking to intersect with the hospitality industry and believe that one of the best ways the industry can combat the egregious violation of fundamental human rights is through efforts like the AHLA Foundation's No Room for Trafficking Survivors Fund," said Malaika Myers, the Hyatt foundation's chief human resource officer. "The fight against human trafficking has no finish-line, and as an industry we will continue to provide cutting-edge resources and support to ensure we are doing all we can to prevent and respond to human trafficking," said Rosanna Maietta, president and CEO of AHLA Foundation.

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.

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."

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.

SHATTERPROOF, A NATIONAL nonprofit addressing the U.S. addiction crisis, will recognize Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corp., for his contributions to mobilizing hospitality leaders to raise awareness and challenge the stigma surrounding addiction. The event will be during Shatterproof's seventh annual Hospitality Heroes Reception on Jan. 23 during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit at the J.W. Marriott in Los Angeles. Hoplamazian and Hyatt have been longtime supporters of Shatterproof and its mission to end the addiction crisis, Shatterproof said. Recently, Hyatt served as the presenting sponsor for Shatterproof's annual walk in Chicago, the city where Hyatt is headquartered. The upcoming event aims to generate funds supporting Shatterproof's initiatives to reshape how addiction is treated in America. In 2023, Hyatt and more than 60 hospitality companies sponsored the event in solidarity with Shatterproof's mission and its founder and CEO, Gary Mendell-a former hotelier and chairman of HEI Hotels & Resorts, according to Shatterproof. Moreover, the event raised more than $2 million, contributing to solutions for addiction and addressing the public health crisis in the U.S.

THE U.S. ADDED 428,000 jobs in April, keeping the unemployment rate at 3.6 percent, just above the level two years ago, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. However, the leisure and hospitality sector saw some of the slowest growth in job creation. After spiking to 14.7 percent in April 2020 following business closures across the country due to COVID-19, unemployment has declined steadily and is now just a hair above its 3.5 percent rate before the pandemic, the latest jobs report indicates. The number of unemployed people was at 5.9 million in April, not far from where it was in February 2020, new data showed.

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.

THE AHLA FOUNDATION has introduced a scholarship application platform for U.S. hospitality students. The platform features a built-in eligibility assessment tool, ensuring students can easily access all qualifying foundation-hosted opportunities. Meanwhile, the foundation, supported by individual donors and corporations, has contributed almost $17 million to eligible students across the U.S. to date. "The AHLA Foundation has been committed to supporting hospitality students for 70 years," said Anna Blue, AHLA Foundation president. "Increasing access to resources and opportunities is a critical investment in the future talent of our industry." The new system will allow students to apply for multiple scholarship opportunities in one application, the AHLA foundation said in a statement. This new portal allows AHLA Foundation to manage eight other scholarship opportunities as well:

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.

U.S. HOTELS FORECAST that their properties will exceed 2022 budgeting targets as the hospitality industry returns to normal, according to a survey by the Hospitality Asset Managers Association. The HAMA survey found a renewed sense of optimism among members. The Fall 2022 Industry Outlook survey revealed that around 60 percent of respondents believe most of their portfolios, more than 75 percent, will exceed 2022 budgeted RevPAR. Nearly half of participants expect 75-100 percent of their properties to exceed 2022 budgeted GOP, the survey said. Around 60 percent of full-service and above said that they expect to exceed 2022 budgeted GOP and just over 40 percent of select-service and below hotels forecasted to exceed 2022 budgeted GOP.