GROUP BUSINESS REBOUNDING
 
Hotels are reporting a rebound in business from group customers, a key segment that includes companies, associations, sports teams, religious groups, social organizations and the military. The U.S. Travel Association forecasts a 7 percent increase in meeting and convention spending this year. That follows a 15 percent decline in 2009, when organizations canceled meetings, sent fewer employees to trade shows and insisted on bare-minimum amenities. Hotels responded with aggressive deals and packages, such as providing free coffee breaks or discounts on audiovisual equipment. Groups are responding now, spurring an optimistic mood in the meeting planning and convention industry. (USA Today; Travel Advance, Aug. 17)


SKY HARBOR TRAFFIC UP FOR FIRST HALF OF YEAR

Passenger traffic was up 3.5 percent in June compared to a year ago and is up 2.4 percent for the year at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport compared to the same periods in 2009. The increased traffic shows more people are traveling to and from the state on business and for pleasure. They also show that at least as of June there has not been any impact on airline traffic because of boycotts of Arizona over the Senate Bill 1070 immigration law. (BizJournals.com/Phoenix, Aug. 9)


ARIZONA RANKED BY CNBC FOR BUSINESS

CNBC released its annual rankings of America's Top States for Business, and Arizona ranked high in the following categories:  workforce (No. 2), business friendliness (No. 5), technology and innovation (No. 19) (BizJournals.com/Phoenix, July 14)


U.S. SEES REBOUND IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL COMING

The Commerce Department projects international travel to the United States to return to a growth mode in 2010. Visitor volume is expected to increase 5 percent followed by 5 to 7 percent annual increases through 2014. The rebound would completely offset the 5 percent decline in arrivals registered in 2009, the first decline in visitors since 2003. The forecast for 2010-14 predicts that the record for total arrivals will be broken for each of those years. International arrivals will reach almost 72 million, an increase of 31 percent from 2009 through 2014. In 2010, all but three of the top 25 origin countries will post increases in visitor volume. (Travel Advance, June 15)


SCOTTSDALE RECOGNIZED WITH TRAVELERS CHOICE DESTINATION AWARD

Scottsdale was ranked as the No. 5 relaxation and spa destination in the United States by TripAdvisor as part of their Travelers Choice Destination Awards. Sedona also received recognition in three U.S. categories -  No. 1 Relaxation and Spa, No. 6 Romance, and No. 10 for top 25 overall U.S. destinations. The Grand Canyon National Park also ranked No. 5 for Outdoor Adventure and No. 16 on the top 25 list.


JETBLUE TO OFFER NEW PHOENIX-BOSTON SERVICE

JetBlue Airways will start new nonstop flights from Phoenix to Boston on Sept. 2. Southwest Airlines said last month it was launching direct service between Phoenix and Boston on Sept. 7. Dallas-based Southwest also will start service from Phoenix to Minneapolis-St. Paul on Aug. 15. JetBlue already operates direct flights between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and New York's JFK International Airport.  (BizJournals.com, May 18)


CONSUMERS SAY TRAVEL SPENDING WILL INCREASE AS ECONOMY IMPROVES

Fifty-two percent of consumers say that as the economy starts to improve, they plan to increase their spending on travel. This is the top response in a consumer study released by eBillme, and conducted by Javelin Strategy and Research, which polled 1,200 consumers to measure the top things they plan to increase spending on as the economy begins to improve. Following travel, the top items consumers plan to put more money towards as the economy shows signs of improvement include: dining out (51 percent), clothing and accessories (41 percent), electronics (34 percent), and concert/movie tickets (29 percent). (TravelIndustryWire.com, May 20)


UNITED STATES TOP PLACE FOR INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS

According to the International Congress and Convention Association, the United States is the number one spot for meetings. The organization identified 8,294 events that took place in 2009, 800 more than were identified the previous year. While the United States was the most popular spot for meetings, Germany came in at number two. The rankings cover meetings organized by international associations, which take place on a regular basis and rotate between a minimum of three countries. (eTurboNews, May 19)


INTERNATIONAL VISITS UP 22 PERCENT IN FEBRUARY

The Department of Commerce says 3.5 million international visitors traveled to the United States in February, an increase of 22 percent over February 2009. February was the fifth straight month of increases in U.S. arrivals. For the first two months of 2010, visitation was up 15 percent compared to the same period in 2009. International visitors spent $10.5 billion in February, 3 percent more than in February 2009. February marks the first increase in monthly U.S. travel and tourism-related exports since 2008. (Travel Advance, May 21)