MUKILTEO, WASH.—As the nation stumbled its way through the pandemic in the past year, with public fears and government mandates abounding, most companies (95.6 percent) tried to do something to combat COVID-19 transmission in poorly ventilated, indoor spaces. Unfortunately, according to a new survey, they often made subpar investments, spending millions of dollars with limited success. The survey was commissioned by Omni CleanAir, a maker of commercial-grade air purification systems that have been eliminating airborne illnesses for more than 30 years. “We polled more than 430 HR managers around the country on the importance of various COVID-19 precautions and defense measures,...

NATIONAL REPORT—One in two organizations plan to increase their focus on socially- and environmentally-responsible business travel post-pandemic. But few are really taking the steps required to turn that plan to action. Emburse, a global leader in expense management and accounts payable automation solutions, published the latest installment of its research, The Remaking of Business Travel. The findings showed that, despite increased emphasis on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) issues among corporations and a heightened demand for sustainable travel among consumers, most business travel programs still lack specificity and accountability when it comes to environmental and social impact. Only 35 percent of organizations have...

CHICAGO—A recent survey of 2,000 LGBTQ+ Americans found that despite 62 percent believing we’ve made progress with representation, there’s still a long way to go. Commissioned by Orbitz and conducted by OnePoll ahead of Pride month in June, the survey explored the positives of LGBTQ+ representation and the importance of it. Forty-seven percent of respondents said seeing themselves in media—on shows like “Steven Universe” (Cartoon Network) or “The Fosters” (ABC Family)—helped them to realize their own identity. This also helped 63 percent become more comfortable in their identity. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said seeing LGBTQ+ characters in media has not only benefited...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) announced GreatFloridaJob.com, a new easy-to-use website for employers and job seekers to post and find jobs across all levels of Florida’s hospitality industry. “As the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continues and visitor numbers continue to increase, FRLA is supporting the efforts of our industry members in hiring the best talent to join their teams,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA). “Florida’s hospitality industry provides exciting, challenging, and fun employment options with great opportunity for advancement and the establishment of a long-term career path, and we encourage all...

RIGBY, IDAHO—An enhanced technology used on the International Space Station to purify and clean the air—Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysis—is being used by Rigby, Idaho-based Pure-Light Technologies, Inc. on its indoor and outdoor LED light bulbs to produce super oxygen molecules that dissolve viruses, bacteria, mold and break down toxic VOCs. The bulbs are coated with an ultra-thin layer of Titanium Dioxide. According to Pure-Light, Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) is one of the more common elements in the world and is rated as inert and non-toxic (MSDS rating). Because it is non-toxic, it is used in a large variety of items including vitamins,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Midway through 2021, a new report and state-by-state job loss breakdown released by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) find that while leisure travel is starting to return, the hotel industry’s road to recovery from the pandemic is long and uneven, with urban markets disproportionately impacted. Industry projections have improved since January with the uptick in leisure travel, but the industry remains well below pre-pandemic levels. Key findings include: More than one in five direct hotel operations jobs lost during the pandemic—nearly 500,000 in total—will not have returned by the end of the year. Hotel occupancy is projected to drop ten percentage points from 2019...

MINNETONKA, MINN.—Radisson Hotel Group and Allego announced a strategic partnership to provide a Green Mobility network throughout Europe. This partnership aims to deploy and operate ultra-fast, fast, and regular (AC) charging solutions for electric vehicles in over 220 Radisson Hotel Group locations across Europe, starting in the U.K. and the Nordics, with other European countries including Germany, France, and the Netherlands to follow. Under the terms of the agreement, the cooperation targets that each European Radisson Hotel Group property can offer EV charging to its guests on site by 2025. Allego deploys and manages a range of charging solutions, accessible to...

RIYADH—The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism project, has unveiled its inaugural Sustainability Report detailing its pioneering approach to sustainable development and achievements to date, and commitment to transparency and accountability. The report, titled “Laying the Foundation for a Sustainable Destination”, contains a comprehensive overview of how TRSDC is taking a regenerative approach to development of The Red Sea Project. This includes details on its: Environmental commitments, including a pledge to deliver a 30 percent net conservation benefit by 2040, only developing 22 of more than 90 islands, and powering the destination...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. unveiled World of Care—a global Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) platform—designed to address the pressing challenges faced by Hyatt’s colleagues, guests, owners, and communities and enact meaningful change within the hospitality industry. World of Care builds on Hyatt’s more than 60 years of efforts to care for the planet, people, and responsible business, and the launch of this platform provides an opportunity to support key milestones and initiatives for Hyatt—including: Sharing, for the first time, detailed workforce diversity data; Rolling out a new global human trafficking training, one of the most comprehensive in the hospitality industry; and Elevating...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts, Inc. announced that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz has exercised stock appreciation rights (SARs) that were set to expire in 2022, and will be making a charitable donation of 100 percent of the proceeds received. After withholding shares for payment of the exercise price and taxes, Katz received 91,661 shares of Vail Resorts stock from the SARs exercise. These shares will be sold, and the full proceeds will be donated. Based on the closing market price on the date of exercise of $319.94 per share, the donation is equal to approximately $29.3 million. The donation by Katz, and his wife Elana Amsterdam,...