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News

Kalahari Resorts Opens America’s First VR Waterslide

August 10, 2021

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of National Waterpark Day, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions — home to America’s largest indoor waterparks and founder of National Waterpark Day — partnered with BallastVR to launch America’s first and only virtual reality waterslide. Riders at Kalahari Resorts in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas can race down Kalahari’s thrilling Anaconda…

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U.S. Consumer Confidence Reaches 17-Month High

August 6, 2021

U.S. consumer confidence inched up to a 17-month high in July, with households’ spending plans rising even as concerns about higher inflation lingered, suggesting the economy maintained its strong growth clip early in Q3. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index ticked up to a reading of 129.1 this month, the highest level since…

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Virtual to Replace One-Quarter of 2022 Travel Volume

August 6, 2021

According to a recent Morgan Stanley survey, corporate travel managers are projecting that virtual meetings will replace an average of 27% of 2022’s travel volume and an average of 19% of 2023’s travel volume. When asked why virtual meetings will continue to replace travel volume, respondents indicated that the top reasons were that… they represent…

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Arizona Ups Tourism Spending

August 5, 2021

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey recently announced the release of $101 million in federal funds to help jump-start the state’s tourism industry, which was hit hard during the pandemic. Thanks to federal American Rescue Plan funding, the Visit Arizona Initiative, a program designed to “increase visitation and tourism spending in Arizona, bolster job creation and accelerate…

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Lodging News Round Up

August 3, 2021

The past year has been like a roller coaster for the hospitality industry. While vaccines are readily available and travel is nearing pre-pandemic levels, staffing and supply shortages are causing new problems for the industry. Here’s an article round up on the current state of the hospitality industry – specifically the lodging sector.  According to…

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Airlines Prepare For Holiday Travel

August 3, 2021

Last year, American Airlines offered long-term leaves of absence to flight attendants and other employees in order to cut costs while it struggled with a steep drop in travel caused for Covid-19. However, the airline recently cancelled those extended leaves for nearly 3,000 flight attendants to prepare for the upcoming holiday season. Additionally, American plans…

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Wild Adventures Invites Nonprofits to Earn Money

July 30, 2021

Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia has come up with a unique solution to the staffing crisis being experienced by the hospitality industry nationwide. The park is inviting community organizations to earn funds by volunteering to assist park team members with daily operations. Volunteers can assist park team members with food service, concert preparation,…

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NYC Expects to Recapture Tourism With TV Spots

July 26, 2021

New York City launched a television spot encouraging visitation to the destination. The “It’s Time for New York City” asks travelers “Where Were You Summer ’21?” This is the first iteration of three flights of television spots that will run throughout the campaign, with the second driving urgency to visit in the fall and the…

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Columbus Attractions Form ‘Museums for All’ Program

July 26, 2021

Starting mid-July, six Columbus, Ohio attractions started working together to make it easier for people to visit museums with the “Museums for All” program. The Columbus Museum of Art, COSI, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, National Veterans Memorial and Museum, Ohio History Center and Ohio Village and the Wexner Center for the Arts launched…

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The Great “Customer Reset”

July 23, 2021

COVID-19 has had major impacts on attractions across the country. After spending more time at home, consumers are coming out of the pandemic with higher expectations and are generally harder to please. Attractions are also drawing a different mix of guests than they may have seen before. This “customer reset” is a phenomena H2R has…

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