Recent News

In tough economy, travel industry fighting back
May 1, 2009 | Desert Sun, CA
They clean rooms, bus tables, drive tour buses and create great experiences for travelers and, on May 12, those whose livelihoods rely on the travel industry will speak up with one voice.This year's National Travel and Tourism Week will include rallies across the country, including one in Rancho Mirage, aimed at fighting back against criticism lobbed at companies that take part in business and convention travel.

Joe Goldblatt: Face-to-face meetings could help create second enlightenment
April 30, 2009 | Scotsman
Are these meetings, and their costs, both financially and environmentally necessary, given the shortage of money and the carbon emissions generated? History will prove that the answer is absolutely in the affirmative. In fact, these meetings or events are not expenses, but investments in the future of business, government and in turn potential human advancement.

People With Service Jobs Feel Economic Pain Early
April 27, 2009 | New York Times
Hotel jobs have long offered a first step on the economic ladder to immigrants and people without a college education or work experience. But the steep drop in travel that started last fall has hit hotels hard and, in turn, buffeted already vulnerable workers.

Starwood's Chief: The Freefall Is Over
April 24, 2009 | Conde Nast Portfolio
One of the things we've been talking about is that business travel itself is a great way to get the economy back on its feet--the relationships that you make, the deals that you close, the sales calls you make, the training sessions, the product launches, the conventions, incentive trips--all things that lubricate the wheels of commerce. So in that aspect, business travel is essential to getting the economy back on its feet. In addition to that, the travel industry is a tremendous source of jobs and tax revenue.

Hawaii Speaks: The Industry Strikes Back, Part III
April 21, 2009 | Successful Meetings
Even as the Aloha State celebrates its 50th anniversary and native son Barack Obama ascended to presidency, the economic downturn, coupled with long tail of the AIG Effect, is shedding gloom on the Island Paradise. Governor Linda Lingle and Hawaiian tourism leaders, from Outrigger's Robert Solomon to Ronald Williams of Atlantis Submarines, tell their story.

Downturn Discussions Dominate ACTE Conference
April 20, 2009 | Business Travel News
Marriott International chairman and CEO J.W. Marriott Jr., who received ACTE's corporate social responsibility award this year, also reported on his recent efforts to talk with Congress and President Obama to ease some of the rhetoric surrounding business travel and meetings that have surfaced, particularly after insurance giant AIG's well-publicized resort meeting conducted shortly after the firm accepted billions in bailout dollars.

More Hotels Facing an Uncertain Future
April 13, 2009 | New York Times, By Martha C. White
Hotels have been struggling for months as businesses and individuals cut back on travel. But what was a bad situation is likely to turn worse as a rapidly growing number of hotels — including many high-end and luxury properties — are forced into bankruptcy or foreclosure in coming months.

The New Face of Big Business: You
April 9, 2009 | ABC News, By Alice Gomstyn
As tales of corporate excess continue to roil the public, some companies hope to appeal to cynical consumers with an image very different from that of the bonus-bearing, jet-setting CEO: Rank-and-file employees are taking center stage.

Corporate travel is in retreat, thanks to AIG
April 7, 2009 | Los Angeles Times, By Roger Vincent
Shamed by images of wealthy corporateers cavorting at the expense of ordinary people, U.S. companies canceled an estimated $1 billion worth of conferences in the first two months of this year and trimmed back on others. Hoteliers are calling it "the AIG effect," after the insurance company that took a public drubbing for spending freely on corporate perks despite its financial turmoil.

Defending business travel in a recession
April 7, 2009 | USA Today, By David Grossman
I loathe meetings. That's one reason I left the corporate world to work independently, but I know meetings are essential to facilitating commerce. Businesses must travel and hold meetings even in a recession (or perhaps especially in a recession) in order to survive and thrive. It's unfortunate that business travel and meetings have been the targets of sharp condemnation in the current economic downturn.

Tourist-town members push back
April 7, 2009 | Politico, By Daniel Libit and Andie Coller
As members head off to spring recess, those who hail from tourist-friendly districts are confronting an economic double-whammy. Not only is there less money in Americans’ pockets, but the recession has fostered an air of competitive austerity in Washington. This D.C. Chaste-Off has found tourism and travel to be a particularly attractive witch to hunt.

Hospitality industry suffers as corporations cut back
April 6, 2009 | New York Times Service, By Susan Stellin
The travel industry, hit hard by the public uproar over lavish company getaways, has been pushing back, and its message is essentially this: You say junket, we say jobs.

Message on travel needs new direction
April 2, 2009 | Atlanta Journal Constitution, By Jeff Clarke
The U.S. Travel Association reports business travel alone generates $240 billion annually in spending, 2.4 million jobs and $39 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue. The beneficiaries of this economic activity are not just the airline and hotel industries but also cab drivers, waiters and waitresses, cleaning staff, bellmen, flight attendants and travel managers. Their wages support local economies.

Elbert: Valid trip is victim of anger on junket excesses
March 29, 2009 | Des Moines Register, By David Elbert
But the travel industry in general, and incentive providers like ITA in particular, have lost business in recent months, as politicians and media commentators unloaded on excesses at companies like AIG, Merrill Lynch and Citigroup. The problem, said Geoff Freeman of the U.S. Travel Association, is that the hysteria over the failed economy is causing confusion over what are legitimate expenses.

Airlines Answer In Alliance Argument
March 25, 2009 | The Transnational, NY, By David Jonas
Following February's proposed U.S. legislation to further scrutinize and limit antitrust immunity for airline alliances, airline and travel trade groups are fighting back. Five groups on 23 March sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood explaining that the proposal would sacrifice thousands of jobs and harm the travel and tourism industry.

Meetings business snared in a trap, needs funding help
March 24, 2009 | Miami Today, By Michael Lewis
Meanwhile, the US Travel Association, a lobbying group, has launched a Meetings Mean Business campaign to reassure Congress that business travel is important to the economy. These worthy efforts can all help stem the erosion in meeting business. But beyond blitzes and image repair, we lack both heavyweight spending to promote our destination and a top-quality convention hub.

Don't Blame the Business Trip
March 21, 2009 | New York Times, By Ben Stein
The problem is that animosity toward ill-advised travel has led to fear in business: that government or media circles will frown on it for having meetings at all, especially if the locale is deemed luxurious. Business people say they are canceling meetings left and right to forestall criticism. If this continues, it will be a puritanical excess that's the problem, not a jet owner's or a meeting planner's.

Travel Spending Sinks Sharply
March 20, 2009 | Wall Street Journal
Spending on travel and tourism declined last year for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Commerce Department said Thursday, as Americans canceled vacations, a strong dollar kept foreigners away and businesses slashed travel budgets.

Travel industry says bailout rhetoric goes too far
March 18, 2009 | Boston Herald
Alarmed at the fall-off in corporate bookings at local hotels, restaurants and other venues, the hospitality types say congressmen need to tone down their anti-business rhetoric.

Resorts Worried About Companies Cutting Retreats
March 16, 2009 | CBS 4 Denver
The U.S. Travel Association is fighting any government regulation on corporate retreats. The group is worried congressional action could scare healthy companies from traveling.

Recession saps budget critics' lobbying power
March 15, 2009 | USA Today
Some of the special-interest groups opposed to tax increases or spending cuts in President Obama's proposed 2010 budget plan are facing a more immediate pocketbook problem: The recession has sapped their ability to fight back.

White House says it encourages business travel
March 13, 2009 | The Associated Press
The White House on Thursday encouraged Americans to travel, soothing words for the tourism industry that had complained for weeks that a remark from the president about corporate junkets had a chilling effect on business travel.

Cutting travel can hurt business rebound, U.S. Travel Association warns
March 13, 2009 | Orlando Sentinel
The U.S. Travel Association, battling to save corporate travel from an image problem sparked by the government's bailout of large corporations, suggested Thursday that businesses may impede their recovery from recession if they slash their travel budgets.

Obama reassures travel execs
March 12, 2009 | Politico
Jonathan M. Tisch, chairman and chief executive of Loews Hotels, told POLITICO later that the president “voiced his support for a strong travel and tourism industry.” The industry has been writing to lawmakers on Capitol Hill as part of a Keep America Meeting campaign.

Memo to Business: Let's Meet
March 12, 2009 | Washington Post
When the Democrats held their national convention last August, 50,000 delegates, politicians, journalists and others descended on the Mile High City for several days. Forty thousand hotel rooms were booked. Restaurants and entertainment venues were packed. In the end, Denver benefited from more than $260 million in revenue, creating significant tax income for the city and state. Now that's what I call a great meeting.

Hotel, travel executives press Obama on downturn
March 11, 2009 | Reuters
Hotel and other travel executives pressed President Barack Obama on Wednesday about the downturn in bookings for business meetings and other events they blame largely on negative sentiment fueled by government and media comments about corporate spending during recession."Travel will play a critical role in driving America's economic recovery," Jonathan Tisch, co-chairman of Loews Corp (L.N) and Chairman of Loews Hotels, said after he and other travel executives met with Obama at the White House.

Americans Agree: Travel Boosts Businesses and the Economy
March 9, 2009 | American Gaming Association (AGA) Press Release
In recent weeks, corporations have been vilified by policymakers and pundits for planning business trips in today's down economy. However, early survey results released today by the American Gaming Association (AGA) indicate that the vast majority of America's business travelers think such trips are crucial to the health of their employers.

City of Spokane rallies to boost convention business
March 6, 2009 | KREM News (CBS)
Criticism over lavish trips by some companies, like AIG that received federal stimulus money, could hurt Spokane’s convention business. City leaders say 200-million dollars generated each year by Spokane conventions is at stake. On Friday, the City of Spokane, along with the President of Spokane Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau, rallied together to promote more convention meetings.

M&C survey confirms non-TARP companies are canceling meetings
March 4, 2009 | Meetings and Conventions
Amidst mass-media reports portraying meetings as lavish, superfluous expenditures, events are being canceled. And the trend isn't limited to companies receiving federal bailout funds, according to the results of an M&C survey conducted from Feb. 23-25, 2009.

Posh Trips for Jobs Well-done are Fading Away
February 28, 2009 | USAToday
Barbara De Lollis reports that meetings and conferences are in trouble, and "the industry that handles the planning of incentive trips, corporate meetings and events reports business is down by about 35%,"

Current Environment Is the Best Meetings Buying Opportunity in 20 Years
February 20, 2009 | Hotel Online
After months of researching internal databases and talking to customers, hotel investment professionals, hotel management and sales teams and industry professional groups, William Kilburg, Hospitality Performance Network (HPN) Chief Executive Officer says he believes the current environment is the best meetings buying opportunity in 20 years.

Rewarding Workers Makes Economy Go
February 17, 2009 | Investor's Business Daily
Kathy Read tells us that "incentive rewards to fun places like Vegas is one of the best ways of retaining your most valued employees during an economic downturn."

In the Hot Seat
February 17, 2009 | U.S. Travel Weekly
Geoff Freeman discusses new guidelines created to assist corporations that receive federal emergency loans in using taxpayer dollars prudently.

Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Slam 'Anti-Stimulus' of Travel
February 17, 2009 | Bloomberg
Hoteliers lambasted U.S. lawmakers' criticism of corporate travel, saying hundreds of thousands of jobs are in jeopardy.

How I Saved 100 Jobs
February 10, 2009 | You Must Be Trippin'
As I sat in my room at the Best Western Hospitality House, I pondered just how much my trip would help stimulate the economy and how many jobs I might be saving. Here's what I came up with: In just a single day of travel, I helped preserve at least 33 jobs.