WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Travel Assn. convened top leaders in travel, transportation and technology with policymakers and administration officials for the association’s first-ever Future of Travel Mobility summit recently. Discussions focused on issues central to the coming decade and beyond of transportation and technology innovation that will reshape how people travel, and which will ultimately enhance the traveler experience. Key topics included sustainability, seamless and secure travel, and innovative and emerging technology. New research by Ipsos released by U.S. Travel underscored the necessity of accelerating the advancement of new technologies and innovations, as highlighted at the summit. Over the next two to five years, one-in-four...

ATLANTA—Chicago settled in for the second year in a row as the #1 city on Orkin’s 2022 Top 50 Bed Bug Cities List, with Philadelphia and New York moving into the second and third place spots, respectively. These two Northeast cities saw the largest jumps with Philadelphia moving up 12 spots and New York moving up nine spots. As for newcomers to the list, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, landed at #42 and Lincoln, Nebraska, barely snuck in at #50. Adult bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed and typically reddish brown in color. Over the last year, as travel began to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Diversity Matters announce a new strategic partnership that will strengthen the association’s focus and support of the industry on issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and provide greater access to Tourism Diversity Matters’ subject matter expertise, research and resources. Tourism Diversity Matters was founded in 2021 to address blind spots in ethnic disparities within the tourism and events industry while providing these industry leaders with resources and tactics to develop more effective DEI strategies to engage, recruit and retain a diverse workforce. DEI is a core priority of the U.S. Travel Association, which...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. announced it was featured in Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking No. 12 among the top 100 companies recognized for employee happiness and satisfaction at work. HGV also ranks in the top three for hospitality companies and is the top-rated timeshare company. Produced in collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company, the Newsweek list results were determined after surveying more than 800,000 employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000. “It is an incredible privilege to be recognized as a Most Loved Workplace...

CHICAGO—Hotel Chicago West Loop, an independent boutique concept inspired by the artistic ethos of its West Loop neighborhood, has become Chicago’s first hotel to bring street art inside to every guestroom. The dual-purpose property that doubles as an alternative gallery launched its highly acclaimed Annex Murals exhibit in 2018 to give guests a fully immersive cultural experience by offering 15 hand-painted rooms by 12 of Chicago’s most celebrated urban artists—prominent names like Asend, JC Rivera, and Eloo. As of today, all 116 rooms at Hotel Chicago West Loop have been decorated with street murals thus offering some of the...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,000 hotels across nearly 95 countries, was featured recently in Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking at #4 among the top 100 companies recognized for employee happiness and satisfaction at work. Wyndham was recognized for its positive work environment by Best Practice Institute (BPI) and Newsweek, who collaborated to identify the top companies where employee sentiment ranked highest. “People are the heart and soul of our organization, and we strive to create memorable experiences for our team members, owners and guests. Our core values of integrity, accountability,...

FALLS CHURCH, VA.—A group of prominent paper mills and end markets across North America signed a declaration of acceptance and a commitment to increasing recycling of paper cups, including Essity, GP PRO, Graphic Packaging International, Great Lakes Tissue Co., ND Paper, Pratt Industries, Sustana Fiber and WestRock. Organizations representing 75 percent of mixed paper demand (by quantity consumed) in the United States and Canada are accepting paper cups. Seven companies with 25 paper mills actively accept residential mixed paper bales (ISRI grade 54) with paper cups included, while three companies with five facilities currently accept paper cups when included with...

PHNOM PENH—CARDAMOM Tented Camp in Cambodia has witnessed the return of a small herd of elephants to its conservation area, after an absence of five years. A large group of Smooth Coated Otters are back too. Forest rangers discovered and photographed elephant footprints and droppings inside the 18,000-hectare forest concession, which the camp protects, with help from Wildlife Alliance and the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF). “From the size of the dung and the number of footprints, it seems that this is a herd of nine elephants comprising four adult females, their calves and one juvenile,” said John Roberts of GTAEF,...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Green Building Initiative (GBI) announced the approval of ANSI/GBI 01-2021: Green Globes Assessment Protocol for Design, New Construction, and Major Renovations by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Following ANSI approval, GBI’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve and publish ANSI-GBI 01-2021, also known as Green Globes for New Construction 2021. “With the completion of this updated Standard, GBI is standing true to its vision and commitment to support sustainable, healthy, and resilient buildings for all,” says Brenda Steinhauer, Chair of the GBI Standards Committee and quality manager of W.A. Richardson Builders, LLC. The standard references hundreds...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Furniture retailers and manufacturers have responded more than ever to guidance that helps protect forests and contribute to sustainable use of wood and other materials, according to a new report. The 2021 Wood Furniture Scorecard, from the National Wildlife Federation and Sustainable Furnishings Council, assessed 118 furniture retailers on their wood sourcing policies. “We’re witnessing an industrywide shift toward sustainability, which is noticeable not only through the growing number of companies voluntarily getting involved in this process, but also by the increasing scores of the companies that have been scored in previous years,” said Barbara Bramble, Vice President of International Wildlife Conservation and...