Month: April 2022

Published: Thursday, April 14, 2022

The US Travel Association applauds Tuesday remarks by President Joe Biden, who renewed his pressure to give the aviation industry a tax credit for using sustainable aviation fuel options.

In recent weeks, global energy shortages have highlighted the growing need for sustainable aviation energy.

In a statement, Tory Emerson Burns, executive vice president of public affairs and policy at the U.S. Travel Association, said that in order to protect the environment and meet the needs of the public, elected officials must reconsider how they travel and take steps to make sustainable aviation energy a reality.

U.S. Travel President Biden is commended for the advanced policies and long-term solutions that make travel more sustainable, and not only for recognizing the opportunity to recover from an epidemic, but also for identifying the critical need for reconstruction to make them stronger than ever.

They don’t have to choose between traveling and saving the planet – both possible if policymakers continue to work with the travel industry to accelerate sustainability.

Congress is reluctant to include tax credits because it is part of a larger spending bill, so Biden’s updated remarks stem from the pressure he has been carrying since he was elected.

The White House aims to reduce emissions by 20 percent by 2030.

Biden said at an event in Iowa that they have brought together government agencies, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, fuel producers, airports.

He added that the tax credit means improved, cleaner and more sustainable fuel for American aviation.

George Novak, president and chief executive officer of the National Air Carriers Association, praised Biden for recognizing the important role that sustainable aviation energy can play in further reducing the carbon footprint of the airline industry.

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Tags: National Air Carriers Association, US Travel Association

Published: Wednesday, April 13, 2022

The WTCA will host its annual 2022 WTCA General Assembly (GA) with a focus on business opportunities in Africa.

This year’s event will once again be acclaimed and will be held virtually with an artificial intelligence (AI) -based B2B matchmaking platform to spend time connecting business participants around the world.

Hosted by the WTCA team in New York, the business conference will be held from Monday, April 18 to Friday, April 22.

GA will bring together WTCA members and their global business networks, including leaders from business, government, academia, the media and international organizations, to reflect WTCA’s diverse global footprint.

With the theme “Exploring New Horizons”, 2022 GA promises to be a unique and exciting weekend event, showcasing the strengths of the WTCA network and giving participants the opportunity to learn from leading experts and connect with each other. Matchmaking platform.

John E. Drew, chairman of WTCA’s board of directors for the second year in a row, said they were happy to host GA and offer free AI-powered B2B matchmaking to everyone in attendance.

This platform has become an efficient and effective way to explore business potential around the world, and has become a huge advantage in connecting our members and their business networks and building their network capacity to facilitate trade.

Also, with a renewed focus on African business, we hope this GA will give a glimpse of the opportunities available at next year’s GA – hosted by the World Trade Center Accra in Ghana.

This year’s GA will feature two half-day livestream programming, starting April 19 with WTCA members-only programming to provide updates from the WTCA Board of Directors and Senior Leadership, as well as covering nine member advisory councils (MACs). Agriculture, business clubs, conferences and exhibitions, real estate and trade services.

April 20, the last day of GA’s main stage programming – which is open to all participants – will feature a keynote address by Atsuko Toda, Acting Vice President for Agriculture, Humanitarian and Social Development at the African Development Bank; A fireside chat with the leader of the International Trade, Energy and Natural Resources and Agricultural Practice Group at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) ǼLEX and lead Suzy Aogved; As well as a panel discussion on “Africa, the continent of opportunity” with WTCA members from Algeria, C ডিte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mauritius and Nigeria.

The day will end with the kick-off of the 2023 General Assembly. Livestream programming is open to all participants unless otherwise noted for “WTCA members only” and will be hosted in English with simultaneous translation into French and Spanish.

Available 24/7 for GA participants for the entire week from April 18 to April 22 across all time zones, the AI-powered matchmaking platform uses an algorithm to collect and process the personal interests of participants in each event, providing them with the right content to discover. Build meaningful connections with relevant matches and achieve unique goals.

The tool enables attendees to learn from interactions, improve match relevance in real time, and instantly schedule virtual one-on-one meetings.

Business sectors represented by participants in the 2022 GA include: agriculture; Automation and automation; Construction engineering; Energy, electricity, gas, petroleum, renewable; Fintech, Enterprise Software, Data, IT; Food and beverage; Metals and mining; Pharmaceuticals, healthcare, medical devices; Real estate development, rent, leasing, sales; Tourism and hospitality; And transportation, logistics, telecommunications.

With the addition of AI-powered matchmaking tools to our annual offerings, the association now provides worldwide 24/7 matchmaking across all industries and sectors, says Robin van Poyenbrook, WTCA’s Executive Director-Business Development.

The platform is seamless and easy to use, which allows participants to participate in relevant B2B meetings while its algorithm works for them. They strongly encourage businesses looking for new connections to participate in this year’s GA. This is an opportunity you don’t want to miss.

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Tags: WTCA, WTCA General Assembly (GA)

Published: Saturday, April 9, 2022

The Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA) wants to announce that the Board of Directors has re-appointed Fantasha Lockington as Chief Executive Officer for a term of three years from 1 April 2022.

The Board and members of FHTA would like to thank Mrs. Lockington for her dedication and efficient navigation during her past tenure as CEO and especially for the last 24 months leading the association.

The initial epidemic lockdown in March 2020 hit the tourism industry hard and it spread to the national economy as the nation saw unprecedented economic downturns and medical uncertainty.

Mr. Brian Kirsh, President of the FHTA Board and Director of Licorice Island Resort, said that the Fiji tourism industry is grateful to Mrs. Lockington for being by her side, advocating and lobbying for her, and they look forward to leapfrogging. Towards normalcy.

He added that they have all the confidence that Mrs. Lockington deserves to continue this valuable endeavor on their behalf.

Mrs. Tammy Tam, Vice President and Senior Vice President of the FHTA Board and Executive Director of Warwick Hotels and Resorts in the Pacific, reiterated the sentiments of Mr. Kirsch, adding that Mrs. Lockington has made a significant contribution to the FHTA, along with the government and others. . Industry partners.

Mrs Tam said her work was highly appreciated and they thanked her for accepting the challenge for another term.

Mrs Lockington was announced as the first FHTA CEO in 2017 and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of South Pacific and several IATA airline-related management qualifications.

He also served on the FNU’s National Training and Productivity Center (NTPC) Advisory Board, the Employment Relations Advisory Board (ERAB), the USP’s Pacific TAFE Industry Advisory Committee, and the Fiji Commerce and Employment Federation Board. Australia Pacific Training Coalition (APTC) Board.

Mrs Lockington said she was humbled by the board’s confidence in her and had strengthened her commitment to providing a unified, private sector voice to the Fijian tourism industry in its efforts to further develop and grow the sector.

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Published: Thursday, April 7, 2022

The US Travel Association on Wednesday announced the recipients of its 2022 Travel Champion Award: Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) has been awarded the Association’s Distinguished Leadership Award and Senator Amy Kloboucher (D-MN) and Congressman Darren Lahm R. (

Everyone is being honored for their exceptional leadership in advancing and protecting policies that strengthen travel in and around the United States.

US Travel today presented awards during the Capitol Hill, the travel and tourism industry’s main legal fly-in event, dedicated to educating policymakers about the power of travel and showing the industry as one of America’s most important economic sectors. The event brought industry leaders to the U.S. Capitol for more than 260 meetings with members of Congress to advocate for policies to accelerate the recovery of travel.

“Collective voices are vital to this year’s destination, Capitol Hill,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the US Travel Association. “Travel recovery has been uneven and we are not where we should be in terms of business and international inbound travel. Lawmakers can help revitalize travel and rebuild good American jobs created by policies that support the industry that will encourage these important sectors. “

This year’s travel champions symbolize the tireless work needed to revive the U.S. travel industry.

“Travel supports communities in every region of the United States and will be important for our country’s economic recovery,” said US Travel’s Dow. “This year’s Travel Champions and Prominent Leaders have consistently reached out across the Isle to advance policies to strengthen the travel industry, strengthen its workforce, and increase global competition. We honor Senator Blunt and Cloboucher and Congressman Lahud for their outstanding support in the American travel and tourism industry. “

Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)
In his 25 years in Congress, Senator Blunt has been a pragmatic leader in Congress and a longtime advocate for the travel industry.

Senator Blunt co-sponsored the original Travel Promotion Act to establish Brand USA in 2009 and led the effort to move the program forward through two re-approvals and emergency funding efforts amid the epidemic. Beyond the brand USA, Senator Blunt was a champion of reasonable advances for a COVID vaccine here in the United States, which allowed travel to resume more freely. Importantly, Senator Blunt pushed for relief efforts across the epidemic and helped ensure that destination marketing agencies were qualified for the Paycheck protection program. He has championed many other travel-related priorities and has been a strong voice on the importance of travel and travel-related business in the broader economy. He also served as vice president of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus.

“America’s travel and tourism industry supports millions of jobs and contributes more than a trillion dollars to our economy,” said Senator Blunt. “Tourism is especially important for a state like ours, which is home to some of the best parks, historical sites, landmarks and attractions in the country. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who is part of the travel and tourism industry in Missouri for their tireless efforts to create opportunities in local communities and to welcome visitors to our state. I commend the strong leadership of the US Travel Association and what they are doing to help businesses recover from the effects of the epidemic. I am proud to receive this award, and I will continue to work in Congress to support policies and programs that will encourage travel and tourism in Missouri and across the country. “

Senator Amy Cloboucher (D-MN)
Senator Kloboucher is a strong champion in the travel industry and one of the biggest advocates of the brand USA since the beginning of the program. Senator Kloubucher was instrumental in co-sponsoring and passing the Restoration Brand USA Act, which provided $ 250 million in relief funds for our country’s destination marketing agency. He also served as vice president of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus.

“Thank you to the US Travel Association for honoring me with the 2022 Travel Champion Award. Travel and tourism are vital to boosting economic growth and creating jobs for communities in Minnesota and across our country, “said Senator Kloubucher. “This year, we signed into law our bilateral recovery brand USA, which will provide much-needed financial support to our tourism industry to promote travel. As we said in Duluth, we are finally seeing the lighthouse on the horizon, and as more businesses open their doors to more visitors and customers, we need to remind our international travelers of what we have to offer. As Vice President of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, I am committed to advancing travel and tourism across the country, making America the best place in the world to travel. ”

Congressman Darren Lahud (R-IL)
Congressman Lahud is one of the strongest voices in the US House of Representatives to champion the economic power of the travel industry. Throughout the epidemic, Congressman Lahud has advanced policies to help restore all sectors of travel equally, including the introduction of bipartisan hospitality and trade job restoration legislation.

“It’s an honor to receive the 2022 Travel Champion Award from the US Travel Association,” said Congressman Lahud. “Illinois is home to strong travel and tourism, including the scenic Route 66 and the Abraham Lincoln Heritage Site in my congressional district. Last year, I was proud to introduce the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act to support Illinois businesses that rely on a strong travel and tourism industry because they were unequally affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and state-directed closures. I will continue to work on the Way and Finance Committee to support the broader travel and tourism industry in Illinois. “

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Tags: US Travel Agency

Published: Wednesday, April 6, 2022

ABTA is pleased to announce its return to its annual Overseas Travel Convention, the flagship event for the UK travel industry.

Held in the royal city of Marrakech from 10-12 October 2022, the three-day event will include two days of thought-provoking and high-level business sessions, as well as a wide range of supportive events that will provide valuable opportunities. Networking in both business and social settings.

The convention will allow ABTA members, travel journalists and the wider industry to experience the latest tourism development in the Red City.

Registration will open on Tuesday, May 3rd.

Mark Tanzer, CEO of ABTA – Travel Association says:

“I am very happy that Marrakech will host the 2022 Travel Convention this October and I would like to thank the Moroccan National Tourism Office for making this possible. As always, the event will provide an important opportunity for the industry to come together to discuss the future of travel and tourism, and we will reveal more details about the content of the event soon.

“This vibrant destination will also be a great opportunity to showcase travel professionals – from its rich cultural heritage, scenic views and ornate architecture to its warm hospitality and delicious food. In the last few years, a number of new attractions have been introduced, which means that delegates will have the opportunity to revisit this popular destination.

“I really encourage you to note down the dates in your diary and look forward to welcoming you to a fantastic event.”

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Published: Monday, April 4, 2022

Tory Emerson Burns, executive vice president of public affairs and policy at the U.S. Travel Association, issued the following statement in the March Employment Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which found that 431,000 jobs were added together, with 112,000 retiring and retiring.

“Of the remaining 1.6 million jobs being restored, a staggering 1.5 million are in retirement and hospitality alone, which directly points to uneven recovery in the sector and how quickly federal policy is needed to restore the travel workforce. Despite this month’s employment gains, growth in the leisure and hospitality sectors has been slow to make up for more than two years of epidemic-related losses. The slow return of business and the lack of staff available with the cost of international travel is limiting the recovery of leisure and hospitality, even recovering other sectors of the economy এবং and in some cases, exceeding pre-epidemic levels.

“The Biden administration and Congress need to formulate stable policies, such as the end of the Covid-era travel restrictions, the need for pre-departure testing for inbound travelers, and the federal mask mandate on public transport. In addition, it is time to release all approved H-2B visas on the cap to accelerate the recovery of the travel industry and the recovery of its workforce. ”

The U.S. Travel Association will bring industry leaders to Capitol Hill next week to meet with lawmakers to discuss critical policies to restore travel during the association’s annual legal fly-in event, Destination Capitol Hill.

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Tags: US Travel Agency

Published: Monday, April 4, 2022

The cost of a family vacation may vary depending on your destination.

According to the US Travel Association, last month, 6 out of 10 Americans think travel is too expensive. One of the main reasons for this is the price of gas.

When you pay more to fill your car, airlines often raise the price to fill their planes.

Charles Winters, with the Huntsville-Madison County Convention and the Visitors’ Bureau, says that while prices are a bit high, holiday memories are worth the price you pay.

There is a lot of demand for travel, Winters explained. They have seen the leisure market really take off here.

Some of the government is still not traveling as they used to but the leisure market, sports market and other parties are returning to private activities.

Tristan Kelly is a server assistant at Pane E Vino. She and her friends planned to travel to the beach this summer and celebrate the birthday of someone they hadn’t seen since the epidemic began.

However, high travel costs can hinder him.

Kelly can’t even afford to go to work most of the time. He has to take rides for work most of the time.

He was planning to take my car because he got a big car on the beach, but maybe he’s not going to take it, he’ll ride with his brother then.

If a big trip is currently out of your budget, Winters recommends taking your family to stay and see some of the popular attractions in the Alabama and Tennessee Valley area.

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Tags: COVID-19 epidemic, Huntsville-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau, US Travel Association

Published: Friday, April 1, 2022

Tory Emerson Burns, executive vice president of public affairs and policy at the U.S. Travel Association, issued the following statement announcing that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will provide an additional 35,000 H-2B temporary non-agricultural workers for the second half of the fiscal year.

“Today’s announcement is a positive step in the right direction for the recovery of the travel industry. However, with millions of jobs open, it is clear that the shortage of manpower has hampered the recovery of industry across the economy, especially in leisure and hospitality. As we move into the busy summer travel season, temporary workers will need access to perform business activities across the country and ensure they can meet growing demand.

“With more than 1.7 million jobs created in the leisure and hospitality sector alone, we continue to urge the administration to exercise full authority given by Congress and waive all approved H-2B visas on cap, which is necessary for equal recovery throughout. All sectors of travel. “

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Tags: H-2B Visa, US Travel Agency