Sustainable tourism is on the rise: Consumer demand is growing, travel industry suppliers are developing new green programs, and governments and international agencies are creating new policies to encourage sustainable practices in tourism. But what does “sustainable tourism” really mean? How can it be measured and credibly demonstrated to build consumer confidence, promote business prosperity, foster community benefits, and fight false claims?

After doing this routine for ten years, it doesn’t seem to ever get better. Right now, I am sitting in front of my computer doing everything I can to avoid thinking of the time I will need to spend traveling for work and being away from my daughter. As a single mother, it is never easy to leave my daughter. But over the years, we have come up with several tips to help make each time apart a little bit easier.

According to new numbers released by the Commerce Department, the travel industry is on track for another record-setting year. International visitors have spent an estimated $82.2 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services—an increase of 11 percent when compared to the same period last year.

“America’s economic recovery is being driven largely by the travel industry,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Each international visitor we welcome to the U.S. helps to support local communities and small businesses across our country. This is a tremendous opportunity; more can be done, and our industry stands ready to continue to encourage growth in international travel to the U.S.”

Source: U.S. Travel Association

The U.S. Travel Association and industry partners offered input on national strategy for travel and tourism in answer to President Barack Obama's call for comments and recommendations. Key elements for national strategy are laid out in a document that detailed objectives and tactics to promote and expand international and domestic travel as laid out in Executive Order 13597–Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing Goals.

Following President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, the U.S. Travel Association announced that it will push for an increase in recognition among United States policymakers in order to bring more attention to the travel industry's significance to U.S. economy.

If you are involved in student and youth travel in any capacity—whether as a tour operator, travel agency, or a supplier—then you should become a member of the Student & Youth Travel Association (SYTA).

Navigating the digital world can be overwhelming to say the least. Over the last several years, we have seen new Web sites pop up, and deciding what is right for you is not always easy. Also, maintaining all your information on all your various travel sites can be cumbersome. So when itoursmart.com launched this summer, I decided to have a chat with their President Patrick Connor. I asked him some of the very questions I thought you would want to know. Here’s what he had to say …