The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced international visitation to the United States rose 15 percent, and visitor spending increased by 20 percent in the first quarter of 2008 over last year. In March 2008, visitation to the United States climbed substantially to 4.7 million, an increase of 19 percent over March 2007.

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The $200 million investment, which will include 250-hotel rooms and 76 Waldorf=Astoria Residences, will be the brand’s first property in Canada. Planning is now underway for a summer 2011 completion and opening.

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Weekly summary of Occupancy, ADR and REVPar for the United States.

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Hawai’i’s first full-service resort aiming for LEED certification to open in Fall 2011

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In October 2007, CHIP Hospitality (a former Real Estate Investment Trust) was purchased by Victoria- based British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC).

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Empire Resorts, Inc. (NASDAQ: NYNY) and Concord Associates announced that the New York State Legislature has approved Governor David Paterson’s program bill granting an enhanced revenue structure to cover expenditures, which will make possible a $1 billion dollar world-class gaming resort destination at the site of the historic Concord Hotel in Sullivan County, N.Y.

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ETC report confirms that Europe’s tourism growth has continued to exceed the long-term UNWTO forecast

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International tourism in emerging & developing markets has grown at an average rate of 6-8% over the past decade. Twice the rate of industrialized countries.

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The successful theme of last year’s PhoCusWright Conference, ‘Braving the Long Tail,’ and ‘Travel 2.0 Confronts the Establishment’ the year before, set the stage for the storm that is now brewing in the online travel space.

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The Rezidor Hotel Group reaches a further milestone in its history: As one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide the group announces the Radisson Dubai Trade Centre District - the 450-room property (scheduled to open end of 2011) is the 50th Rezidor property in operation or under development in the MEAO-region (Middle East, Africa & Others).

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