Hotels Wanted for Green Hotel Pilot Project Special pricing available for test hotels
from NYSH&TA
For the past two years, the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA) has participated in the New York State Green Hospitality & Tourism Partnership. The group has been working towards developing a New York State endorsed green hotel certification for the lodging industry. The Partnership is currently collaborating with the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I) and Audubon International – Green Leaf Environmental to conduct a Green Hotel Certification Pilot Project. Forty-four (44) Pilot hotels are currently being sought for participation in this project. If you are interested in participating, click here for complete details. More

Recovery and Reinvestment Analyzing the Tax Implications of the Stimulus Legislation
from PKF via Hotel News Resource
Normally, in the April column, PKF will discuss some of the tax issues impacting the hospitality industry. This year is no exception. However, while the size of the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is unprecedented, the business tax breaks are not large in the grand scheme of things and few will benefit hospitality directly. More

Hotels Try to Fill Rooms by Offering Free Nights, Discounts
from USA TODAY
With occupancy rates down, hotels and booking sites have come up with new promotions to get visitors in the door. More

NYSH&TA is bringing you Internet Marketing Webinars on 2 Separate Dates Thursday, June 11, 2009 Organic Search Engine Optimization 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Intended Audience: General Managers, Hotel Owner/Operators, Sales and Marketing Directors, Webmasters Using the latest Internet Marketing tools and tricks, this webinar will provide specific items that will drive more traffic to your website…and ultimately to confirmed reservations. Presented with real life case studies, this workshop will cover everything you need to know to be highly competitive in your market. How the Search Engines rank websites (and what hotels can do to position themselves advantageously) Free vs. Paid Listings Local Search Engines Linking and Directory Enrollment (for the best visibility) Register Online

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Vote New York State for the Face of Travel
from NYSH&TA
The public voting period for the “Faces of Travel” contest is now open. From the 227 submissions, there were six finalists; including: Salvatore The Plaza Hotel; New York, NY The finalists were selected based upon their creativity, public speaking ability, and a passion and enthusiasm for the travel industry. You can view all six videos of the finalists and help choose the winner by visiting www.MeetingsMeanBusiness.com/FacesOfTravel. Please notify your colleagues and employees to visit the site and cast their votes. Voting will run until to Noon EST on Friday, May 22. More

Take 2009 Wage Survey Now
from NYSH&TA
WageWatch, Inc., the leading web-based compensation and benefits survey company in the nation, is conducting a statewide survey of the lodging industry in New York. When complete, this survey will tabulate data for 37 key management, salaried, and hourly positions within our industry. Increased participation makes the report more valuable for everyone in the industry and could allow for more geographic subcategories to be created. After completing the survey participants can pre-order the results at a significant $300 discount. In order to maintain this member benefit we request that you complete the by May 31, 2009 (click below image). More