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America’s best whitewater rafting trips
Dave G. Houser Recreation & LeisureSummertime is clearly the best time for whitewater rafting as melting snow and dam releases power up rivers across the country. All rivers hosting commercial rafting trips are graded from mild to wild based on a rating system ranging from Class I to VI. If it’s a beginner or family-friendly rapids you seek, book a Class I or II trip. For more thrills, move up to a Class III trip. Class IV and V trips can get really rowdy and outfitters usually recommend or require guests to have previous rafting experience. Forget Class VI rapids. They are deemed unrunnable.
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How will travel businesses be affected by new Cuba restrictions?
Seth Sandronsky Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementThe Trump administration has restricted travel to and trade with Cuba, reversing Obama-era policies that opened doors closed during the Cold War. What are the business impacts of the president’s decision? "Given the recent growth in legal U.S. travel to Cuba," Erika Richter, communications director for the American Society of Travel Advisors, told MultiBriefs in an email, "ASTA is concerned about the potential for disruption from these policy changes, especially as they relate to the operations of our cruise line, airline and hotel partners on the island." The travel restrictions took effect on June 5. According to the administration, the Cuban government's foreign policy is to blame.
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Travel2020: Virtuoso’s top trends in summer travel
Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementAs Americans plan their summer getaways in the midst of this country’s strange and unstable approach to foreign relations, some vacationers are opting to stay closer to home and explore their own country, according to reports by global luxury travel network Virtuoso. The scenery and diversity of national parks appeal to families and adventurers alike when the temperatures warm up. Europe is always desirable for its history, culture, cuisine and abundant luxury offerings. In particular, Spain has become quite popular as it offers better value compared to other spots in Western Europe.
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How to recognize employees when summer Fridays aren’t practical
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementSummer Fridays refer to the practice that employees get to leave early or work remotely on Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day. While this can be a fantastic benefit for office workers, it can be extremely impractical to implement outside of standard 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. offices and cost-prohibitive to offer to nonexempt employees. This does not mean our hands are tied as leaders when it comes to giving employees a break during the summer months. Here are some other options to consider when summer Fridays are not practical.
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The final word on what the legislative session meant for outdoorsmen in…
John McAdams Recreation & LeisureThe 86th Session of the Texas Legislature is in the books. As previously discussed, there were two pieces of legislation under consideration that were of particular concern to sportsmen and women. One pertained to hog hunting in the Lone Star State while the other involved a sales tax holiday on firearms, ammunition, and hunting supplies. First, we’ll start with the news on the hog hunting front. SB 317 was passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on May 31. The bill takes effect on Sept. 1 and amends state law to permit hunters to take feral hogs on private land without possessing a hunting license.
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The rise of tech-augmented hospitality
Bambi Majumdar Travel, Hospitality & Event ManagementAccording to Amadeus’ Drivers of Change in Hospitality report, tech-augmented hospitality will be a major driver of travel trends. This is crucial for the future, as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says there will be a whopping 8.2 billion air travelers worldwide by 2037. Next-generation hospitality services will need to keep in mind that many travelers are expecting experiential, personalized, and seamless experiences at all steps of their journeys. Hospitality companies need to invest in technology solutions to meet the evolving needs of travelers and hotel guests of the future.
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Noise: An invisible danger in sports and recreation
Sheilamary Koch Recreation & LeisureWhile most people wouldn’t think twice about wearing hearing protection at a noisy workplace, it’s easy to forget that noise can be equally damaging when we’re at play. Many things we do for leisure can put us at risk for noise-induced hearing loss. Dangerously high noise levels are inherent in sports involving ATVs, motorcycles and snowmobiles. Interestingly, excessive noise isn’t always just produced by the machinery being used.
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How to earn money while living a nomadic life
Connie Ulman Recreation & LeisureHow do I make living on the road? This question is a perennial hot topic in the RV community. There are numerous options, but there are also numerous scams. My hope is to help you weed through some of those scams and find realistic ways to earn a living while traveling. I have scoured the web and networked with fellow RVers and business owners to create the following list of legitimate virtual jobs and work-from-home jobs.
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Texas’ bighorn license plate boosts more than funding
Chester Moore Jr. Recreation & LeisureThe desert bighorn sheep is now officially a celebrity in Texas. A new conservation license plate features a stunning bighorn image. Those who purchase it for $30 get the satisfaction of knowing $22 goes directly to sheep conservation efforts of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The new plate design is a first for TPWD. "Our longtime plate artist, Clemente Guzman, retired, so we decided to use a photograph of a majestic bighorn sheep proudly looking into the desert — and perhaps its future," said Janis Johnson with the TPWD Conservation License Plate program.
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Alone, but not lonely: The rejuvenating benefits of solitude
Victoria Fann Mental HealthcareWhile loneliness is an epidemic in this country with half of Americans admitting they feel lonely, being alone isn’t all bad. In fact, it’s good. I’m not talking about extreme isolation here, which can severely impact mental and physical health. Instead, I’m talking about good, old-fashioned quiet time. However, with smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, computers, and most recently AI, are we ever really alone? A new field of study called interruption science, which studies how interruptions affect human performance, found that, on average, we are interrupted every 11 minutes and that it takes almost 25 minutes to recover from a phone call.
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