Marriott International announced plans this week to double its presence in Europe by 2015. Marriott currently has 40,000 guest rooms in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the mainland continent. Marriott will expand its portfolio in Europe by also including two new brands: Edition, a boutique lifestyle hotel, and the Autograph Collection, which will be comprised of independent hotels and resorts.

President Obama signed the U.S. Travel Promotion Act into law today, creating a new national tourism organization to promote the U.S. as an international destination. Many in the U.S. hospitality industry are excited about the opportunity to gain more marketing exposure. But it comes at a price: visitors from 35 Visa Waiver Program countries will be the ones to pick up most of the bill. That's because the program is being funded through a new US$10 fee.

My business travel view, "International Business Travelers and Tourists to Fund U.S. Marketing Campaign" explores this in more depth.

From bed bugs to to rude hotel staff, many business travelers can probably swap stories about who experienced the worst of hotels.

For those who may be traveling to a new hotel or city for the first time, it’s helpful to check out some of the travel reviews left by previous travelers. Many hotels that receive bad reviews have criticized this process, saying that once a comment is left that future guests have no point of reference if services have been improved or facilities have been rehabbed.

And even though some traveler opinions are written by those who are not part of the industry, their impressions frequently offer valuable feedback to future guests as well as hotel management.

The U.S. Senate passed the Travel Promotion Act by a vote 78-18 (4 not voting) on Thursday, February 25, 2010. And President Obama is expected to sign it within days.

While some view this as a history win for the U.S. tourism industry - and it's certainly important for the U.S. to take steps to enhance its reputation for international business travel and tourism, the decision does come with a price.

If approved by the President, the bill will be signed into law and international travelers from each of the 35 Visa Waiver Program countries visiting the U.S. will be charged a US$10 fee once every two years.

International travelers generate significant revenue already for the U.S. economy. Therefore, by imposing a new fee on international visitors, the U.S. is aware that this decision does have the risk of triggering retaliatory fees by some of these countries upon U.S. travelers, potentially costing more money to the U.S. international traveler than any revenue generated by this fee.

International Business Travel News Report, February 2010

Even though busines travel hotels and airlines aren't even close to pre-recession levels, the business travel community is starting to experience a sign of relief from the effects of 2009. But business travelers and industry leaders shouldn't get too comfortable because there's a significant amount of activity at the local, state and federal levels to impose new taxes and fees on an industry that they perceive as having a "non-voting interest" and easily tapped. This, according to Paul Ruden, senior vice president for legal and industry affairs for the American Society of Travel Agents.

My business travel view, "Should U.S. Travel Promotion Act Impose New Fee on International Business Travelers and Tourists?" explores this in more depth.

If passed, the U.S. Travel Promotion Act will establish a nonprofit corporation overseen by the government to promote U.S. tourism to international business travelers and tourists. The economic benefits of promoting U.S. tourism are clear. But the legislation imposes a US$10 travel fee once every two years on visitors from 35 Visa Waiver Program countries to cover new costs. Is this fair? Cities and states are already promoting themselves to the international market, and international tourism generates more than US$120 billion in the states each year. The government can't find funding from existing taxes to create an international tourism campaign?