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Oklahoma is a state in the Great Plains Country of the United States of America. The things many tourists always want to know absolutely is that what funny, lovely, interesting, exciting, thrilling, cheery, and peaceful things in Oklahoma. As mentioned above, Oklahoma is a state in Great Plains region of the United States. This state is one of four geographically diverse states to harbor more than ten distinct ecological regions. Thus, it is the ideal place for many people who have the love of nature. With a wide range of flora and fauna, Oklahoma is expected to have many fun things to do and lots of new things to explore. In addition, we have to say that the weather in Oklahoma has risen to the level of fascination.

THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association has announced the dates, cities, and registration information for its "On the Road" State Hotel Conferences for 17 states in 2023. The conferences will provide hoteliers, suppliers, and service providers opportunities to connect with their peers as well as hospitality and policy leaders to learn about the latest news and information affecting the hotel and lodging industry, AHLA said in a statement. Anyone who works in the hotel industry can attend these half-day, free events, it added. "AHLA's 'On The Road' State Hotel Conferences are designed to help local hoteliers connect with their peers, gain insights on national and local market business performance trends and learn from top hospitality leaders, service providers and policy experts," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "The events are also a vital tool to help AHLA build coalitions, grow our grassroots network and rally hoteliers around the industry's goals and initiatives. We are excited to bring AHLA's successful On The Road State Hotel Conference series to a record number of cities in 2023." AHLA will host these conferences in partnership with its state or city lodging association partners. Since starting with four events in 2021, AHLA's On The Road State Hotel Conferences have brought together thousands of hoteliers in cities across the nation. Last year, 11 events were held.

MIT SHAH, FOUNDER and CEO of Noble Investment Group is the Penn State School of Hospitality Management in the College of Health and Human Development and the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society's 2023 Hospitality Executive of the Year. Shah will be recognized at a gala reception at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania, on April 4. Noble is a travel and hospitality real estate investment group that has invested nearly $6 billion in communities throughout the country through its institutional real estate funds since being Founded in 1993. The other accomplishments for which Shah is being honored include his family's endowment of the Bharat Shah Leadership Speaker Series at Georgia State's Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality in honor of his father, Dr. Bharat Shah. Speakers featured in the program include former Hospitality Executives of the Year Chris Nassetta, CEO of Hilton, and Arne Sorenson, former president and CEO of Marriott International who died last year following a battle with cancer. "It is an honor to be recognized by the Penn State School of Hospitality Management and the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society," Shah said. "As one of our country's oldest and most respected hospitality programs, the school, its faculty, administration, and staff continue to help ensure that our future hospitality leaders are well prepared to live lives that matter."

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."

APPROXIMATELY 75 PERCENT of Americans plan to take road trips this summer, with about 33 percent intending to travel more than 250 miles from home, according to a recent study by WalletHub. However, choosing an affordable travel destination is challenging due to higher gas prices, currently averaging over $3.45 per gallon nationwide, and increased accommodation costs. The WalletHub study, which assessed all 50 U.S. states across 32 metrics to identify the most budget-friendly road-trip destinations, ranked Texas, Minnesota and New York as the top three states to visit this summer. "Taking a summer road trip can be a very exciting way to experience a new place, but with the prices of gas, food and accommodations heavily impacted by inflation, you'll want to be in a state that makes this type of vacation affordable," said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub's analyst. "Safe roads are also key, and so is having plenty of worthwhile attractions to stop at along the road. The best states for summer road trips therefore are those that keep costs low while providing the best driving experience and most fun activities."

THE HOTEL INDUSTRY is poised for a fairly strong year in 2023 despite remaining concerns about a downturn, according to a pair of reports. Continuing demand is expected to overcome extra labor costs and economic vagaries to propel performance above pre-pandemic levels, according to the reports from the American Hotel & Lodging Association and STR. The state of the industry AHLA's 2023 State of the Hotel Industry Report projects that demand, nominal room revenue and state and local tax revenue all are well on the way to recovery. Operational challenges, such as staffing shortages and economic factors will replace COVID as hoteliers' top concerns, the report predicts. "Three years after the unprecedented hardships our industry faced due to the pandemic, hotels continue to make significant strides toward recovery," said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. "2022 saw one of the strongest summer travel seasons ever, and this year we expect hotels to reach new heights in terms of room revenue, room-night demand and state and local tax revenue. But when inflation is taken into account, our industry likely won't see full recovery for several more years. Nevertheless, hotel performance is trending in the right direction - great news for our industry and our employees, who are enjoying better pay, more career opportunities, upward mobility and flexibility than ever before."

AMERICINN BY WYNDHAM has launched the State Fair Family contest with a $15,000 family payday, a statement said. The winning family will get a $10,000 travel stipend and $5,000 cash as prize. To participate in the competition, families need to attend at least three separate Midwest state fairs in one week. They then document their experience in photos and videos on social media and contribute to the future AmericInn Best of the Midwest Fair Guide, the statement added. A social-media savvy family with active social media accounts (TikTok and Instagram preferred) over 21 years old can participate in the contest. They must be a U.S. resident with a valid federal or state-issued ID. Entries should be submitted by Aug. 3 along with a 300-word minimum written entry and family photo or 1- to 3-minute video describing what makes your family the ideal candidate for the job. The winner will be selected during the week of August 4, the company said.

AAHOA IS CONTINUING its advocacy efforts with new meetings with members of Congress. On Sept. 27, representatives from the association met with Sen. John Hickenlooper, Democrat from Colorado, in Washington at his Capitol Hill office. Hickenlooper, who sits on both the Small Business Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee, met with AAHOA to discuss Small Business Administration loan limit increases as well as fairness and transparency in the franchise industry, according to AAHOA. In Hickenlooper's home state of Colorado, 39.5 percent of all hotels in the state are owned by AAHOA members, comprising 520 hotels and 55,861 rooms, according to a recent study for AAHOA by Oxford Economics. Those hotels provide $5 billion in wages and other compensation, along with approximately 54,490 direct jobs and 101,000 total impact jobs in the state. They provide $8.5 billion in contribution to the state's GDP, and $2.3 billion in federal, state and local taxes along with $201 million in total lodging taxes.

Connecticut is a small one among United States. This state has lots of things to offer visitors in terms of peaceful nature and the long-time history to share with tourists. Things to do in Connecticut are fulfilled with the beautiful coastline, offshore islets of Long Island Sound as well as many outdoor recreations such as boating adventures, fishing outings and other water sports.

Myths die-hard and, inevitably, the United States still evoke a past of cowboys and Indians battling in a Far West where John Wayne and Clint Eastwood are the kings. Others prefer to see the country rock n 'roll where some Elvis Presley was the "King". Finally, there will be only one country that has dominated the film and make the best vector of the "United States of America Way of Life" in the world.

We all love to travel. But sometimes world can be a scary place due to uncertain events like civil war, terrorist activity, strikes, natural disasters etc. The US State Department has an excellent tool "the Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts" (listed on www.travel.state.gov) to help us determine whether a destination is too risky to visit. If you are planning to travel outside the United States, checkout and understand the Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts issued by State Department.

Buy Kentucky State Maps online from store mapsofworld. Download various Kentucky maps featuring map of state, counties, cities, zip codes, roads, rivers, airports etc. in editable digital format.

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS are welcoming two laws, one proposed on a federal level and another passed by the state of Tennessee. The federal law is long-awaited clarification of the definition joint employers and the Tennessee law limits regulations by local governments in the state that would affect small businesses, including hotels. A clear definition Versions of the Save Local Business Act recently was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Sponsors of the bill say it will provide clarity on Department of Labor's proposed new joint employer rules that have undergone multiple changes lately, leading to legal confusion. "You can't focus on running a business if the federal government keeps changing the rules. The Save Local Business Act provides long-overdue clarity and consistency that will protect our nation's small businesses," said one of the bill's sponsors, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall. "The Biden Administration's Labor Department has relied on complicated court rulings to handle joint employers instead of providing clear guidance to the business community. In a time of economic hardship, we should be doing all that we can to help our nation's small businesses, not let the heavy hand of government regulations run amok."

Looking to get your passport fast? Registered passport expeditors are private companies that specialize in United States passport and visa services, staffed by experts who will handle your application with care and ensure you receive the most expedited passport and visa services. They are registered by the US State Department to hand-carry passport applications into US Passport Agencies for urgent processing. Find out what all consideration you should keep in mind while looking for the passport expediting company and top recommendations.

Looking to get your passport fast? Registered passport expeditors are private companies that specialize in United States passport and visa services, staffed by experts who will handle your application with care and ensure you receive the most expedited passport and visa services. They are registered by the US State Department to hand-carry passport applications into US Passport Agencies for urgent processing. Find out what all consideration you should keep in mind while looking for the passport expediting company and top recommendations.

A newlywed bride made headlines this week. But not because of her stunning gown or the wedding event's. It was because she missed her honeymoon over a damaged passport costing her almost $20,000 to reschedule. This not just a sympathetic bride's news going viral, but, a lesson for anyone who is being careless towards his/her damaged passport. Having a passport is not enough to fly. Even though your passport may be completely valid under US State Department regulations, the State Department is not the only agency involved in getting you where you want to go. Your passport will still need to pass the scrutiny of airline employees and TSA security officials in order to get you on your flight. Read the complete post here to understand when your passport falls into the criteria of a damaged one. Why it is important to take good care of this most important ID proof.

A newlywed bride made headlines this week. But not because of her stunning gown or the wedding event's. It was because she missed her honeymoon over a damaged passport costing her almost $20,000 to reschedule. This not just a sympathetic bride's news going viral, but, a lesson for anyone who is being careless towards his/her damaged passport. Having a passport is not enough to fly. Even though your passport may be completely valid under US State Department regulations, the State Department is not the only agency involved in getting you where you want to go. Your passport will still need to pass the scrutiny of airline employees and TSA security officials in order to get you on your flight. Read the complete post here to understand when your passport falls into the criteria of a damaged one. Why it is important to take good care of this most important ID proof.

Passport Alert!! Your passport is in risk, if you are in IRS list of debtors. A new law will allow the US State Department to refuse to issue US passports to individuals with "seriously delinquent" tax bills in excess of $50,000. Even, the State Department is authorized to revoke previously issued passports if the bearer is on the IRS list of debtors! So, if you were not paying your taxes from a while, pay them as soon as possible, in order to be able to fly internationally. In case, you haven't applied for a passport yet, apply with a passport expeditor to get an expedited passport.

Passport Alert!! Your passport is in risk, if you are in IRS list of debtors. A new law will allow the US State Department to refuse to issue US passports to individuals with "seriously delinquent" tax bills in excess of $50,000. Even, the State Department is authorized to revoke previously issued passports if the bearer is on the IRS list of debtors! So, if you were not paying your taxes from a while, pay them as soon as possible, in order to be able to fly internationally. In case, you haven't applied for a passport yet, apply with a passport expeditor to get an expedited passport.

Buy Massachusetts State Maps from store mapsofworld. Download various Massachusetts maps featuring map of state, counties, cities, zip codes, roads, rivers, airports etc. in editable digital format.

Buy Missouri State Map from Worldmapstore in different sizes and best printable quality.

A NEW JERSEY bill that will reform the franchise business model in that state took another step forward today, moving from the Assembly to the Senate, and supporters, including AAHOA, expect it to become law this year. However, the American Hotel & Lodging Association has come out in opposition to the law, saying it would "undermine the foundation of hotel franchising." New Jersey Assembly Bill A1958 would make changes to the New Jersey Franchise Practices Act. AAHOA has been supporting the bill, saying it mirrors several concerns included in its 12 Points of Fair Franchising. Specifically, it would reform rules for mandated vendors, rebates, loyalty programs and new fees, AAHOA said in a statement. "New Jersey has long been a state with a strong entrepreneurial culture that has been welcoming to immigrants, including many AAHOA members," said AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel. "The state Assembly recognized that and took a step toward making New Jersey a better place for small businesses with today's vote to advance fair franchising principles. New Jersey can be an example to the nation for supporting franchising practices that allow hotel owners to achieve the American dream." AAHOA supports the preference of certified women-owned, minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses to serve as the mandated and preferred vendors for the franchise business model.

THE U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION said that the Biden administration's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program will shape the future of travel mobility in the U.S. It will make foundational investments in the national EV charging network, USTA said in a statement. The association urged state departments of transportation to work closely with the community of destination marketing organizations, state tourism offices, and private travel businesses to make data-driven recommendations on the most popular electric vehicle corridors where investments should be made, a statement said. In early February, the Biden administration announced a new program which will make $5 billion available to states over the next five years to help build out their charging networks. The plan is allocating $615 million in funds for 2022, with the disbursements already planned from now through 2026, with the caveat that the government has to approve the state's individual plans for spending.