Spending by international visitors to the U.S. on their Visa card is up 20 percent in the first half of 2010, but Gulf Coast tourism declines sharply from May to June following oil spill.

Despite the increase in the standard rate for fiscal year 2011, the U.S. General Services Administration noted that its ADR data shows a 5.73-percent decrease of the estimated lodging costs as compared to fiscal year 2010.

The timeshare industry is known for its marketing savvy, so it makes sense that this segment hit the ground running when it came to adopting social media strategies. Most timeshare brands and associations are using social media outlets to strengthen the bond with their most critical mass--current timeshare owners.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is predicting a 4.1-percent increase in RevPAR for 2010 and 6.7-percent growth in 2011.

AAA projects the number of Americans traveling this Labor Day holiday weekend will increase 9.9 percent from 2009. Hotel rates for AAA Three Diamond lodgings are expected to increase six percent from a year ago with travelers spending an average of $139 per night compared to $132 last year.

The Travel Buyers Survey, released by Maxvantage, shows that 60 percent of respondents think the meetings industry is gradually improving and feel it is stable. The survey also shows that since January 2010, the drop in hotel rates started to level off and in second quarter hotel rates showed signs of stabilization.

New details are available for the Corinthia Hotel London, set to open in early 2011. The property will include 294 guestrooms, including 45 suites. GA Design International will lead interior design of the hotel and the ESPA spa.

Journeys by the Luxury Collection is a series of once-in-a-lifetime curated travel experiences.

According to Ypartnership's 2010 Portrait Of American Travelers, the U.S. leisure travel market has finally stabilized. In fact, the data suggests the industry can expect a modest increase in demand in the year ahead.

The Highland Group's most recent U.S. Extended-Stay Lodging Report says demand surged more than 16 percent for two consecutive quarters and the number of rooms under construction declined to its lowest level since 1995.