Marriott confirms that business travel's starting to make a comeback
from USA Today
Echoing similar comments from Starwood last week, Marriott International's executives told Wall Street analysts that business travelers have started to return, helping to fill more rooms and - someday -raise rates. More

Eight reasons why e-mail marketing works for travel, hospitality
from The Business Adviser via LVTSG
Mention e-mail marketing to folks in the travel and hospitality industry and you may find that many are still unaware of what it is and how it works. Others, however, are rapidly discovering that e-mail marketing is just about one of the most effective means of generating sales. More

As travel revives, Expedia takes a trip to the job market
from Puget Sound Business Journal
Expedia Inc. is adding to its local work force as it looks to continue rebounding from the worst of the recession, which hit the travel industry hard. The Bellevue online travel company has about 130 jobs listed on its careers website, with 50 of those job openings posted in the last 30 days. The jobs are part of 370 worldwide openings at Expedia, which has employees in 22 countries. The hires come about a year after layoffs that included job cuts at the company's corporate headquarters. More

Presidio may get new art, maybe B&B
from The San Francisco Chronicle
Of all the changes to San Francisco's Presidio in the 15 years since the former military base became a national park, the most sublime is Andy Goldsworthy's "Spire" - a peak formed from the trunks of 37 felled cypress trees. Now the British artist is contemplating a second work at the Presidio. This installation, though, would snake along the ground rather than spike toward the sky. More

The slow road to recovery
from Meeting News
After a horrendous 2009 for the meetings and incentive industry, it seems that planners and executives alike are beginning to take a more rational approach to face-to-face events in 2010. The waves of cancellations are behind us, and planners are again able to put out feelers—but are they translating into bookings? Successful Meetings spoke with CVB executives from around the country to find out how 2010 is really shaping up. More

Sustainable meetings are conquering the world
from HSMAI eConnect
Last week, 240 of close to 600 members of GMIC met in Denver, for the annual conference. GMIC can look back at a tremendous growth since the start in 2003 and the last year saw a 67 percent increase of individual membership and 30 percent increase of corporate members and this during the worst recession the world has seen for ages. More

10 common problems with perfect staff
from Hotel News Resource
Do you employ Mr. or Ms. Perfect? - They smile a lot, they cover extra shifts, know how to fix the fryer, how the boss likes his coffee and can cheer up cranky guests like magic. And because everything is going so well, it's easy to leave them alone while you concentrate on fighting other fires. But putting time into managing these people can be a much better investment than constantly chasing problem staff. And if you don't, there's a bunch of bigger issues that may come up. More

RSR Research: Restaurants going greener to save costs, attract customers
from The Green Lodging News
Sustainability practices that minimize the impact of restaurant operations on the environment appear to be gaining momentum as the foodservice industry finds ways to measure the return on its investment in green systems and technologies, according to the results of a new benchmark survey from RSR Research. More

Palo Alto's bid to boost tourism falls short
from The Wall Street Journal
Palo Alto's City leaders in this enclave, which Stanford University and many Silicon Valley executives call home, are trying to bolster the local economy by persuading more business travelers to stay for the weekend. But so far, few visitors have taken the bait. More