BANGKOK—The best things come to those who wait, and wait. Located in the lunar-like Arava Valley in the south of the Negev Desert, Six Senses Shaharut will celebrate its highly anticipated arrival this August. With all the final touches in place, the resort is already proving popular with national guests and is looking forward to welcoming international travelers as soon as border restrictions allow. With its secluded setting, Six Senses Shaharut has the obvious advantage of complete privacy. It aims to bring guests in balance with nature and its elements so they can kick back and enjoy traditional desert hospitality and rich...

PITTSBURGH—Not even a pandemic could stop this innovation. Pittsburgh International Airport recently became the first airport in the world to be completely powered by natural gas and solar energy as part of its newly live microgrid. The first-of-its kind microgrid increases resilience and maximizes public safety and makes PIT one of the most site-hardened airports in the world. Airports across the country have been exploring ways to increase power resilience and reliability after several high-profile power outages resulted in thousands of cancelled flights and passenger disruptions. As PIT is set to break ground on building the smartest airport in the world through...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—The summer of 2021 is expected to focus on domestic travel. And as people are preparing to explore more areas of their home terrain, there are already reports of increased littering and fears of congestion at popular destinations this summer. To help address this, Scandic has launched a program that rewards travelers who show extra consideration for others and nature this summer. By committing to adhere to Scandic’s list of ten good habits for summer travel, travelers can earn points for future stays at Scandic hotels. The habits have been developed by Scandic’s sustainability department and cover everything from...

CHATHAM, MASS.—Chatham Bars Inn, Cape Cod’s storied and celebrated year-round hideaway, has begun relocating 7,000 cubic yards of sand in a comprehensive dredging initiative aimed at staving off beach erosion. The erosion is a result of shoaling from the North Inlet and wash-over from nearby North Beach Island. Chatham Bars Inn is working closely with the Town of Chatham and the Barnstable County Dredge to relocate the sand from Aunt Lydia’s Cove to the resort’s famed beach-front area that spans from the Chatham Fish Pier to the Inn’s private dock and Clafin Landing. This project follows ongoing environmental plans which...

BLOOMBERG—More than half of U.S. hospitality workers would not go back to their old jobs and over a third aren’t even considering reentering the industry, according to a survey that underscores hiring challenges for restaurants, bars and hotels. No pay increase or incentive would make these workers return to their previous workplace, according to a poll of about 13,000 job seekers during the second quarter from Joblist, an employment-search engine. These former hospitality employees cited wanting higher pay, a less physically demanding workplace and better benefits, the survey finds. The results show the extent of the unpopularity of the industry as...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on the CDC’s updated guidance announced Tuesday: “As noted by President Biden, the updated guidance from the CDC marks another phase for America in navigating the pandemic. “From the onset, we have said our industry will follow the guidance of public health authorities. The last thing we want is a backslide in the nascent recovery of travel, particularly as business travel slowly begins to rebuild. Adhering to the CDC guidance allows Americans to safely continue the return to our professional lives, including in-person meetings and business travel. The updated CDC...

NEW YORK—The State of California officially reopened on June 15 and with that announcement Informa Connect, a division of Informa plc, and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the Greenbuild International Conference + Expo will take place in-person with virtual packages also available, September 21 to 23, 2021, in San Diego. The return to an in-person experience ensures expanded networking and sourcing opportunities in addition to hands-on learning experiences. Global audiences can attend the live event either virtually or in person as well as three virtual themed summits preceding the event, taking place August 12, August 26, and September 9 to...

LOS ANGELES—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation, and The BHN Group announced a new award to recognize and honor the transformational leadership of industry icon, Arne Sorenson, former President & CEO of Marriott International who died earlier this year. The Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award will be awarded in memory of Sorenson annually during the AHLA Foundation’s premier fundraising gala, the annual Night of a Thousand Stars and during the annual Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS). Known for his progressive leadership, Sorenson utilized his platform as the head of a major international corporation...

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...