NATIONAL REPORT—EV charging started as a parking amenity. Today, it is becoming part of the guest experience itself. EV adoption continues to accelerate and represented nearly 10 percent of new U.S. vehicle sales in 2025. Hotels located in business corridors, near airports, and in destination markets increasingly see EV drivers arriving with charging expectations as part of their stay experience. Whether guests are dining at a restaurant, shopping, attending an event, or staying overnight, the time spent charging often translates into additional purchases and higher on-site spending. It also provides access to a highly desirable customer segment, with more than 75...

NATIONAL REPORT—Travel in 2026 looks different from even a few years ago. Guests are making more deliberate choices about where they go, who they stay with and what they want to feel when they get there. For independent hoteliers, that shift is good news. The things travelers are searching for most are exactly what small, personal properties do best. In this blog, we break down six of the most significant traveler types shaping hospitality this year and share practical ways to make sure your property is on their radar. Key Takeaways Independent hotels are naturally well-placed for 2026 travel trends: authenticity...

SAN ANTONIO—GratifID USA Inc. officially launched TIPMO, an innovative NFC-powered cashless tipping and workforce intelligence platform designed specifically for the hospitality industry. Debuting at the world’s largest hospitality technology conference, HITEC San Antonio, TIPMO enables guests to reward exceptional service with a simple tap while delivering tips directly to employees in real time through a secure digital wallet. As guest expectations evolve and cash transactions continue to decline, hospitality operators face growing challenges in recognizing frontline employees, managing tip distribution, and maintaining meaningful engagement with their workforce. TIPMO addresses these challenges with a seamless platform that modernizes the tipping experience...

Add some good wine to your hotel group, mix in some creative marketing, a good portion of a good cause, and bam, you have got a business plan worth replicating throughout the lodging industry. Allow me to explain. Minor Hotels just announced a new partnership with Saving the Wild, a groundbreaking Africa-based conservation charity, with the launch of three “Saving the Wild” wines which will be served in several Minor Hotels properties in Africa. The wines are produced by Hoopenburg Wine Estate, an award-winning wine farm, and feature fine art labels highlighting the need to protect three key species targeted for...

NATIONAL REPORT—Why does sustainability messaging in hospitality often fail? Could it be due to the message feeling rather generic, moralizing or even out of place? Recent behavioral research advocates a simple but powerful shift from talking about “nature out there” to activating the guest’s personal relationship with nature. In ways far easier than expected, hotels and restaurants can make small wording changes across everyday touchpoints to drive real sustainable behavior while strengthening luxury, care and brand equity. Reframing Sustainability Communication Most hospitality leaders don’t need another sustainability idea, they need guest participation. The hard part is getting it without adding friction...

DENVER—Governor Polis and the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO), a division of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), launched the Colorado Stargazing Trail as part of Colorado Dark Sky Month in June, to guide Coloradans and visitors to experience the night sky at the state’s certified International Dark Sky locations. “Colorado is known for our world class outdoors and natural beauty that we love and that draws visitors from around the world. This new guide will provide Coloradans and visitors alike with a map of the constellations to experience the beauty and wonder of our night skies and support...

When my son was about 6 years old, he began playing soccer in a local league. Perhaps some of you moms and pops can relate to this but I was “volunteered” by my wife to be his team’s coach. I knew very little about soccer, but I quickly learned the basics. I spent two seasons as coach, have grown to love the game, and have followed my son’s progress ever since—from the parents’ side of the field. (What an adventure even that can be.) The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11 and finishes on July 19. Matches will...

NATIONAL REPORT—A significant majority of corporate travel buyers are expressing concern over a U.S. government plan that would require foreign visitors to provide five years of social media history when entering the country. According to a recent survey by Business Travel Show Europe, 85 percent of respondents oppose the proposal, with only 2.5 percent in support and less than 1 percent willing to accept it for leisure tourists only. The proposal, introduced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and detailed in the Federal Register, would apply to travelers from over 40 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program, including the...

AMSTERDAM—Booking.com’s 2026 Travel & Sustainability Report reveals a growing tension in travel decisions, with nearly three quarters of travelers globally saying they consider extreme weather risk when choosing both destination (74 percent) and timing (74 percent), and nearly one-third (31 percent) canceling a trip due to these risks—often before the trip even starts. The concern is not without merit: 26 percent of travelers have already experienced extreme weather or a natural disaster when traveling in the past 12 months. More than half (55 percent) say these risks are stressful when planning a trip, with the same number (55 percent) saying...

NATIONAL REPORT—According to a survey of 7,000 travelers, Gen Z and Millennials make sustainability and overtourism prevention central to trip planning and 94 percent say they are willing to travel off-peak to reduce crowding. They back demand-management measures at popular sites, with 83 percent supporting restrictions that protect natural and cultural assets even if it limits their access. Gen Z and Millennial travelers are rewriting the rules on when and where they go and what they’ll give up to protect the places at the top of their bucket lists. Expedia Group’s new study, Travel with Purpose: How Gen Z &...