Taking off Travel blog

Travelers from 35 Visa Waiver Program (VWP) countries now have to get approval through the Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) before traveling to the US. The web-based ESTA system was launched in August 2008 to determine the eligibility of those from VWP countries to enter the US. More than 1.2 million ESTA applications have been received so far, with more than 99 per cent of these approved. In most cases approval takes seconds and the permit lasts for up to two years or until the passport expires.

“We have been collecting information from visa waiver travelers for decades, and establishing a program to get that same information in advance is one enhancement that allowed us to extend the valuable benefit of visa-free travel to eight new countries in 2008,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “In addition to building business and cultural ties with our partners overseas, this is a commonsense step into the 21^st century that will improve our efficiency in screening and welcoming international travelers at our ports of entry.”

DHS says it will take a ‘reasonable approach to travelers who have not obtained an approved travel authorization via ESTA, though such travelers may be denied boarding or admission to the US or may experience delayed processing. Find more information in ESTA here.

FutureWatch Outlook For Business Travel

BTNOnline reports that this year’s FutureWatch study from Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and American Express shows that more business meetings are being canceled during the economic downturn. The survey of more than 2,700 meeting professionals shows that organizations reduced meeting activity by eight per cent in the second half of 2008, and so far have cut 2009 meeting activity by around 7 per cent.

“After three strong years, the global meeting and event industry is coming to grips with a major paradigm shift and the FutureWatch data reveals how acute the expectations are for change,” said MPI president and CEO Bruce MacMillan in a statement.

Though the number of meetings is down, per meeting attendance in the US is expected to rise 12 per cent over last year’s levels. However, expenses per meeting are likely to fall.

Decline In US Hotel Industry - STR Report

Smith Travel Research has posted results for the US hotel industry in the week to 3 January. The results show industry declines in three key areas. Revenue per available room was down 3.6 per cent over last year at $44.40. Occupancy for the week fell 0.5 per cent to 42.9 per cent and the average room rate fell 3.2 per cent to $103.43. These figures mask a varied performance in the different segments.

A recent article from STR shows that extended stay hotels have shown continued growth in demand despite the general decline in the lodging industry. This sector is now broadening from business travelers to include leisure travelers.  ”With expansive supply growth and amenities beyond what a traditional hotel might offer, extended-stay hotels are poised to continue their streak of success,” commented STR industry research manager Chad Church.

Tags: business travel, esta, hotels, Travel News

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 at 4:26 am and is filed under Travel News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.