business travel bureau

INNOVATE YOUR TRAVEL EMPOWER YOUR BUSINESS

We are a premier business travel agency in new york city. we specialize in creating custom business trips that fit any budget. we offer personalized customer service and strive to make every journey stress-free. let us help you find the perfect destination and make your trip memorable.  .

Hilton Orlando

Florida, USA

Fast and easy booking

Over 15 years in the travel industry

Visit over 150k destinations

Save up to 20% on travel

Sustainable Travel Practices

we are committed to minimizing our environmental impact and promoting sustainable travel practices

Success Partners

To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

How Covid Changed Business Travel Forever

Zoom meetings have fundamentally altered how and why people hit the road for work. now “bleisure” and “return to base” are corporate travel buzzwords in the new normal..

J ust over two years ago, Romano Nickerson was traveling three days or more per week for client meetings and attending four conferences a year. But his road-warrior lifestyle came to a screeching halt in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nickerson, a 48-year-old principal in the Colorado-based architectural consulting firm Boulder Associates , soon discovered that nearly all of his in-person meetings could be handled virtually.

Today Nickerson says he is “treating an in-person meeting as being much more precious than it was in the past, when it was sort of just this default.” Just back from his first business trip since March 2020, he does not expect to go back to living out of a suitcase. Nor does he believe that his 150-employee firm will revert to pre-pandemic business-travel habits anytime soon. “We still have a policy that allows folks to follow their own comfort level,” Nickerson says. “Right now, there is still very, very little business travel going on. I would estimate maybe a dozen trips per month, when it was probably four or five times that at its peak.”

The challenge for the business-travel sector, of course, is that even if Covid eventually goes away, Zoom will still be here. Nickerson is but a single drop in a sea of executives reassessing the value of work trips in a new normal where web conferencing is not only essential but, for many in the workforce, preferred. That trend is not going away, and it’s spawning new catch phrases like “bleisure” and “return to base.” According to Morning Consult data , the percentage of frequent business travelers who say they’ll never return to the road has ticked up from 39% in October 2021 to 42% in February 2022.

At a New York Times event back in November 2020, Bill Gates sent a chill through the travel industry when he predicted that more than 50% of business travel and more than 30% of days worked in offices would go away permanently. “Now that it’s not the gold standard to say, ‘Yes, you flew all the way over to sit in front of me,’ and that you can do the virtual connection, it will be a very high threshold for actually doing that business trip,” the Microsoft co-founder said.

In 2019, business travel had injected $334 billion dollars in spending into the U.S. economy and supported 2.5 million jobs, according to the U.S. Travel Association. If Gates were right, the American economy would stand to lose at least $167 billion dollars per year post-pandemic.

“We are undergoing the biggest change to travel since the advent of commercial flying.” —Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky

Flash forward 16 months and Gates’ assessment is now accepted, more or less, both inside and outside the travel industry. “The pandemic has led to extensive use of videoconferencing and virtual meetings, and many companies expect virtual work to persist over the long term,” concluded the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in a February 2022 report forecasting employment demand in various industries. The labor bureau predicted that many types of business trips would be replaced by virtual meetings, though some in-person trips – for instance, sales pitches and trade conferences – would return to pre-pandemic normal.

While few people expect business travel to disappear completely, the sector is going to look very different on the other side of the pandemic. For starters, those boomerang trips that waste a day traveling for a one-hour meeting? “Definitely gone, and they’ve probably gone for good,” says Matthew Parsons, who covers business travel and writes a weekly Future of Work Briefing for Skift, the travel intelligence company.

“The bigger the company, the harder they are going to be on those one-day trips,” says Parsons, noting that corporations are scrutinizing travel expenses more closely now. “The travel management side of things is moving more toward the CFO than anyone else. The last two years, people have shown that they can work pretty well without traveling a lot,” he says. “So the finance department's going to be really watching company time on travel in the future.”

Opportunities in the New Normal

Few travel companies have navigated the pandemic as nimbly as Airbnb. By May 2021, the company’s CEO was already sounding a lot like Bill Gates. “I think that traditional business travel is never going to return the way it was,” Brian Chesky told CNN ’s Poppy Harlow at the time. “The bar is higher to get on a plane to do a meeting. We’re realizing how many things can finally be done remotely.”

Chesky and his team noticed that the average Airbnb rental period had lengthened dramatically during the pandemic. That trend, they concluded, was part of a bigger picture: for many customers, the lines between living, working and traveling were blurring. “We started seeing these shifting trends in Summer 2020,” says Catherine Powell, Airbnb’s global head of hosting. “As lockdowns lifted, many people found themselves still able to work from home but not tethered to an office or even a specific location. So they searched for different homes, ones where they could take their families, their pets, and where they could continue working remotely. And they stayed for weeks at a time. We believe these longer stays and flexible living are here to stay.” In other words, Airbnb saw early on that remote and work-from-anywhere was not a temporary blip but a fundamental shift in how people would travel from now on.

Cabin Fever: Salesforce’s new Trailblazer Ranch, set on 75 acres among the redwoods in California, was conceived as a gathering place for the company’s location-flexible workforce.

Six months after Chesky’s CNN interview, Airbnb had fully embraced a strategy focusing on delivering guests more flexibility. “We made over 150 upgrades in 2021, rolling out features like flexible searching and a tool to test the WiFi speed called Verified WiFi, and other tools for our hosts to update their spaces to meet the new demands of today’s travelers,” says Powell.

And as remote work became more permanent at many companies, Airbnb started collaborating for solutions. “For example, during the pandemic, Salesforce introduced Success from Anywhere , which gives employees flexibility where, when and how they work,” says Powell. “Salesforce employees enjoy the new flexibility they have, but also still want opportunities to come together and reconnect safely with their teams. With Airbnb, Salesforce employees can travel to an offsite or another office location and stay at an Airbnb of their choosing.”

Last month, Airbnb posted a record $1.5 billion in Q4 2021 earnings and announced that 2021 was the best year in the company’s history. “Nearly two years into the pandemic, it's clear that we are undergoing the biggest change to travel since the advent of commercial flying,” Chesky said on the earnings call. “Remote work has untethered many people from the need to be in an office. And as a result, people are spreading out to thousands of towns and cities, staying for weeks, months, or even entire seasons at a time.”

The Pivot to Leisure

Hotels have also taken notice of a significant shift, but it’s different from the one Airbnb is capitalizing on. The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) has seen business travel’s share of room revenue drop during the pandemic, from 53% in 2019 to a projected 44% this year. “Leisure demand has led the recovery, and we are well‐positioned to continue growing our lead in resort destinations, including in the high growth all‐inclusive space,” Marriott CEO Tony Capuano said on his company’s fourth-quarter 2021 earnings call. “We have also been seeing strong preference for our luxury properties.”

This makes perfect sense. Historically, business travel has rebounded slower than leisure travel following catastrophic events like the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and the 2008 financial recession, which also explains why so many professional prognosticators have predicted a slow and tepid recovery for corporate travel. The AHLA’s annual “ State of the Hotel Industry ” report, published in January, predicts that “while leisure travel will likely return fully in 2022, business travel is projected to remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels.”

Just Say Nomad: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky began working remotely in his company's properties this year.

With such a big question mark looming over business travel’s recovery, some major hotel groups have spent significantly to pivot hard toward vacationers. “We’re very bullish on leisure travel. It's proven its resiliency and durability,” Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian told investors last August when announcing the acquisition of luxury resorts operator Apple Leisure Group. The $2.7 billion cash deal made Hyatt the world’s largest operator of luxury all-inclusive resorts based on room count and the largest operator of luxury hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean.

Though airlines have always relied on business travelers for their bread and butter, there are opportunities in the new normal for them, too. “The airlines are probably very worried by the fact that the business travel accounts are going to slowly fade away,” says Parsons, noting that the larger airlines are hedging their bets, pivoting to “more premium economy seats, with business class being taken out.”

Airlines also need to be more nimble in identifying opportunities and shifting to other routes, he says. “As you start seeing more leisure routes on the big city pairs, there will be regional airlines picking up a lot of that commuter traffic. So as people move outside of these big cities to smaller towns, then airlines are going to start putting more routes in to serve people coming into the office two days a week.”

Two Trends to Watch

Business travel’s big buzzword now is “bleisure.” It’s exactly what it sounds like—a blend of business and leisure. A typical bleisure trip might be a three-day work trip with a few days of play tacked on to the front or back end. Or a one-week vacation might be extended to two weeks, with the traveler bringing along the technology needed to work from the road on the second week. Morning Consult’s February 2022 report found that the share of former frequent travelers who expect to take a bleisure trip in the coming year is nearly equal to the share who will travel solely for business. The AHLA’s 2022 report also noted that bleisure has “exploded during the pandemic.”

But it’s hardly a new phenomenon. “I've actually been doing that for 15 years,” says Nickerson, adding that during the summer of 2019, he turned a three-day business trip in Hawaii into a 10-day family vacation. “You know, that is perfectly normal for me.”

A fresher trend is being dubbed “return to base” travel. Think of it as the old business-travel model but in reverse. In the conventional paradigm, employees based at company headquarters flew off to do business in other cities. With “return to base” travel, remote workers will be called into the mothership from time to time, much like George Clooney’s character in Up in the Air .

One company already embracing “return to base” in a big way is Salesforce, whose new 75-acre, 140-room Trailblazer Ranch is nestled among the redwoods in Scotts Valley, California. The campus was conceived as in-person gathering place for its 70,000-strong workforce, the vast majority of which has opted to work remotely or on a hybrid model. “Salesforce wants to create a network of ranches around the world in nature,” explains Parsons.

“These bigger companies are looking to buy hotels and own them and have their own corporate retreats,” Parsons says. “That's definitely happening, and I think when people can travel freely again, especially internationally, these retreats will be quite a big aspect of business travel in the future.”

MORE FROM FORBES

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. Business Travel

Americans make more than 405 million long-distance business trips per year, accounting for 16% of all long-distance travel (see Box A ), according to a preliminary analysis of the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). Conducted from 2001 to 2002, the NHTS asked 60,000 people in 26,000 U.S. households about all trips they took in a given travel period and looked at the characteristics of those travelers and trips. This report examines early NHTS findings on domestic business trips to destinations at least 50 miles from home.

Trip Characteristics

Contrary to the stereotypical image of the business traveler heading off to catch a cross-country flight, the majority of long-distance business trips in the United States are taken to destinations within 250 miles of home and are by automobile. Nearly three-fourths (74%) are less than 250 miles from the point of departure and most of those are within 100 miles. Trips of over 1,000 miles account for only about 7% of all business trips. (See Figure 1 ).

Still, at 123 miles, the median one-way distance for business trips is greater than that for trips with other purposes. By comparison, the median distance for pleasure travel is 114 miles and for personal or family business trips the median distance is 103 miles. Long-distance commuting trips have a median distance of 69 miles.

The personal vehicle is the dominant travel mode for business travel, comprising 81% of all trips. Air travel accounts for about 16% of all business trips. The use of the two primary modes shifts, however, as trip distance gets longer. Almost all shorter trips are by personal vehicle—97% of 50 to 99 mile trips and nearly 94% of 100 to 249 mile trips. In the 250- to 499-mile range, the personal vehicle’s share of trips declines to 67%, while the airplane accounts for 31% of the trips.

Only after the 500-mile mark does the car give way to the airplane as the dominant mode of business travel. For trips 500 to 749 miles in length, air captures 64%, compared to 33% by personal vehicle. Of business trips between 750 and 1,500 miles, air captures almost 85%, and of trips more than 1,500 miles in distance, a full 90% are made by air. Accordingly, this yields a median trip distance for business travel by car of 102 miles, but one of 816 miles for business travel by air.

Where are They Traveling?

Because the majority of business trips are less than 250 miles in length, it is not surprising that 84% of business trips (341 million business trips) do not cross census region boundaries 1 ( Figure 2 ).

The origins and destinations of the 64 million inter-regional trips are not evenly distributed. The West attracts 7.4 million more inbound business trips than it sends to other regions. The South, on the other hand, has 7.7 million fewer inbound business trips than outbound. There is no statistically detectable difference between the inbound and outbound flows 2 in the Northeast and Midwest. The South is the largest destination for outbound business trips from each region. Also, the South is the largest generator of inbound business trips to each of the other regions.

Traveler Profile

The typical business traveler is likely to be male; work in a professional, managerial, or technical position; be 30 to 49 years old; and have an income well above the population average.

Men account for more than three-fourths (77%) of business trips. This compares to nonbusiness travel where men take 54% of the trips and women 46%.

Those who consider their occupation to be professional, managerial, or technical account for over half (53%) of all business trips. This occupational category represents only about 40% of the general population. Sales or service workers account for the next largest share of business trips, 28%. On the other hand, clerical/administrative workers account for less than 4% of business trips even though they represent almost 12% of the population.

About 55% of all business trips are made by individuals aged 30 to 49. Those in their thirties take 28% of the trips while comprising 16% of the population. Those in their forties take 27% of the trips while comprising 15% of the population. The percentage of trips represented by those in their fifties drops markedly, with only 18% of business trips represented by this age group. Overall, this age group accounts for about 11% of the population. The youngest and oldest groups of adult business travelers, 18 to 29 and 60+ years old, represent about 16% and 10% of business trips, respectively.

Business trips are generally made by those with household incomes that exceed the national average, which is about $47,500, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although 12% of households have annual incomes of $100,000 or more, the NHTS survey found that this income group accounts for over one-fourth (27%) of business trips. Another 18% of trips are made by those with household incomes between $75,000 and $99,000. There are relatively few low-income business travelers. Although 21% of households have incomes of $25,000 or less, only 6% of the business trips are made by that income group.

Source and Accuracy

The findings from the 2001 NHTS survey are based on travel data collected from a random digit dial sample of telephone interviews conducted with over 60,000 individuals in approximately 26,000 nationally representative households. Interviews were conducted between March 2001 and May 2002. Individuals in the NHTS sample were asked to complete a travel diary for a specified day, known as the travel day, and were also asked to report on the characteristics of long-distance trips of 50 miles or more from home made during a 4-week period, known as the travel period.

Estimates reported here are based on weighted data to account for selection probabilities at the household and individual level, and are further adjusted for household and individual nonresponse. Comparisons made in this report are statistically significant at a 0.05% level.

About the 2001 NHTS

The 2001 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) updates information gathered by two series of travel surveys—the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey (NPTS) conducted in 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, and 1995 and the American Travel Survey (ATS) conducted in 1977 and 1995. Results from this report are from preliminary data collected in the long-distance travel section of the survey.

1 The Bureau of the Census divides the country into four reporting regions.

2 Inbound flow is the number of trips to a Census Region originating from another Census Region. Outbound flow is the number of trips from a Census Region with the farthest destination in any other Census Region.

• Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Business travel made personal…

Running smoothly, home and away.

Sign up to receive our FREE travel health check today and get your business travel back on track.

Established in gosforth in 1961, travel bureau is an independently owned travel company specialising in bespoke travel arrangements with a commitment to continual improvement, and strive to not only meet but exceed our clients’ expectations., what our clients say, " calder group has used travel bureau’s services for more than eight years. the highly professional, yet approachable, consultants are always extremely efficient. being aware of both our company travel policy and... " s jones, executive secretary/pa, calder group, " my colleagues and i are constantly surprised and amazed at the brilliant service you and your staff provide to us. we have given the maximum possible score on the client satisfaction questionnaire as that’s what we feel you deliver… " karen, executive, " large international newcastle based business which has been a client of travel bureau for over 30 years. a few comments from staff... travel bureau always go the extra mile... bookings with a smile... i have used travel bureau for 20 years and they only get better... " anonymous, " since changing to travel bureau, your staff have made our lives so much easier in booking travel. they are all extremely helpful and informative. our company directors could not be happier with the service you are providing. " lynne parkinson, project co-ordinator, avtel (uk) ltd.

• Latest Updates

3rd Apr 2024

Join our team as a corporate travel consultant, 28th feb 2024, lner services subject to short-notice cancellations ..., 21st feb 2024, new flights between london city airport and guernsey..., 20th feb 2024, gulf air to increase manchester to bahrain flights, 19th feb 2024, frankfurt airport to have three terminals by 2026, travel management - our services.

Account Management

A dedicated team of specially selected travel professionals will focus on your strategic objectives, delivering quantifiable benefits and peace of mind. Moving against the rising tide of impersonal, transaction focused travel planning, we develop meaningful relationships between ourselves and our clients.

Management Information

Proactive management of travel spend through data analysis, trending and information-rich reporting, enabling you to make informed operational and strategic decisions to drive change for improvement within your travel programme.

Online Solutions

Compliance to company policies and procedures, including travel, is essential. We offer a suite of customisable, user-friendly self-booking solutions, providing control and flexibility with the security and back-up of a professional travel management company.

Traveller Profiling

Travel is often essential to the growth and continued success of your organisation, yet it can be stressful. Capturing essential traveller information not only streamlines the booking process but delivers a smooth and comfortable journey experience.

Speak to our experts today…

From outstanding city-centre locations to stunning rural historic houses and castles, aboard a luxury liner or a vintage rail carriage, a conference of hundreds to an intimate gathering… Combining world class venues with superb support services, bespoke delegate and partner activities, we will make your event a resounding success and your life a whole lot easier.

For more information, email:

• Energy Sector

With access to sector specific fares and specialist consultants servicing the logistical needs of the energy sector, we understand the complexities and challenges you face and have the ability to deal with them in a calm, efficient and cost effective manner. Thanks to our embedded crisis management procedures, we can track your travellers throughout their entire journey. It’s reassuring to know, even if you are travelling to a remote, inhospitable environment, we’ll be right there with you 24/7. Be better protected and put your travel in safe hands.

Mindful that business travel is an overhead that requires close control and management, we will take a holistic, independent approach in analysing all elements of your business travel programme to facilitate meaningful benefits by eliminating inefficiencies, reducing costs and simplifying the complexity of business travel. As a starting point, take advantage of our free half day travel health check .

Also from Travel Bureau...

• Travel Management
• Client Login

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

More hotels are catering to the 'bleisure' — business and leisure — traveler

Alina Selyukh

"Bleisure" is a new term in hospitality, a combination of business and leisure travel. It's part of a post-pandemic reset of our travel habits.

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

• Choose your city National Atlanta Baltimore Boston Chicago Dallas-Fort Worth Denver Dublin Houston London Los Angeles New York Oakland Philadelphia San Francisco San Jose South Florida Washington, D.C. Cities
• Apply to Speak
• Sponsor an Event
• Select Leaders
• Bisnow Careers
• Press Releases
• Advertise with Us
• Newsletters
• My Subscriptions
• Attendee Lists
• Edit Profile
• United States News
• National Real Estate News

RTO Boosts Business Travel, Puts A Dent In Domestic Leisure Traffic As Hotel Demand 'Normalizes'

Business travel is back big, but as Americans trickle back to the office, that gain has brought some pain on the leisure side, according to executives at some of the nation's largest hotel chains and hospitality REITs.

Across the board, hospitality executives projected confidence in the strength of business and group travel demand to investors during their latest round of quarterly earnings calls. But they were less certain about leisure trends, characterizing the first quarter as a return to normalcy after travelers flocked to resorts and urban centers  in the wake of pandemic restrictions lifting worldwide.

Leisure demand was roughly flat or down year-over-year for a majority of hospitality companies in the quarter, a slowdown largely attributed to poor weather, the Easter holiday falling earlier in the year than usual and greater numbers of workers doing business at the office rather than at home or on the go.

“We believed and expected that the leisure markets would soften as you started to see people finally getting back into the office and working and eventually transitioning that leisure-oriented travel to be more business travel,” Dennis Craven, chief operating officer at Chatham Lodging Trust , said during the company’s  earnings call May 6 . “That's essentially what we saw.”

Executives' observations were in line with a Q1 JLL report finding that “U.S. hotel performance is normalizing” from spikes in 2022 and 2023 driven by pent-up demand. But pricier average daily rates due to limited new hotel growth saw revenue per available room, a key industry metric, rising nearly 14% over pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to JLL.

While Marriott International ’s leisure RevPAR in the U.S. and Canada was flat compared to Q1 2023, its global holdings buoyed its overall leisure RevPAR, company president and CEO Tony Capuano said on the company’s  earnings call May 1 . Marriott’s leisure RevPar was up 4% year-over-year, its group RevPAR rose 6% globally and its business RevPar was up 1%. 

Capuano said he was encouraged by the strength of domestic group and business travel, buoyed by strong trade with big corporations. Large corporate business with Marriott’s top 100 accounts enjoyed the strongest consecutive improvement it has seen in the last eight quarters, Capuano said.   

“Throw all of that in the blender, and it does feel a little more like settling into a more normalized pattern versus a really systemic falling off the cliff,” Capuano said. 

Hilton Worldwide CEO Chris Nassetta  agreed that leisure was normalizing from “super high levels” and Hilton had “tough” year-over-year comparisons in that area. Yet leisure RevPAR still exceeded the company’s expectations given “continued strength in international markets and holiday shifts,” he said during the  company’s April 24 earnings call .

Even so, demand for leisure travel is not evenly divided between urban and resort properties, with travelers preferring big city vacations in the first part of the year.

RLJ Lodging Trust  reported healthy leisure demand, pointing to a 2% increase in revenue during the first quarter, driven primarily by the strength of urban leisure, which increased by 3%.

A “robust volume of social events” such as concerts and sporting events continues to bolster demand for urban getaways,  Leslie Hale , president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust, said on its  earnings call May 2 .

Hale said urban leisure for the company remains healthy, given its footprint and the demand dynamics. Breaking down leisure further into rate versus demand, Hale said she expected resorts would pull back from rate peaks, but urban leisure rates would stay at or near peak.

“Leisure still continues to be a tale of two cities,” Hale said.  

This lines up with figures from Pebblebrook Hotel Trust , which saw its urban properties increase RevPAR by almost 5% year-over-year, offsetting a 4.4% decline in RevPAR across the company’s resort portfolio.

Weekday occupancy for Pebblebrook’s properties improved 3 points year-over-year, demonstrating the continued recovery of business travel, Pebblebrook CEO Jon Bortz said during its earnings call April 24.

“Business transient travel continues to recover and it's noticeable,” Bortz said. “It's represented in the stronger weekday occupancy numbers.” 

On the mergers and acquisitions front, Hilton Worldwide struck the quarter’s largest agreement when it announced in March that it would pay $210M to acquire all rights to the Graduate Hotels brand. Graduate has over 30 hotels in university-anchored towns and will give the hotelier an opportunity to serve guests in markets where it previously lacked a presence, Nassetta said. 

A far larger proposed deal fell through in March when  Choice Hotels International   gave up  on its $8B bid for a hostile takeover of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. The lengthy pursuit began in April 2023 and ended after  Choice said it didn’t see a reasonable path to acquiring Wyndham due to its “refusal to constructively and substantively engage on terms.” 

Wyndham Chief Financial Officer Michele Allen said costs related to Choice’s failed takeover of the company will tally about $50M in total. 

Since the failed takeover, Wyndham CEO Geoff Ballotti said the company is seeing less uncertainty from members of the development community who were reluctant to engage while Choice was in hot pursuit. Ballotti pointed to the company’s 11 hotel conversions under the newly created WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham brand in the quarter as evidence of improved sentiment.

“With the deal noise dissipating, owners who were uncertain on committing to deals with us, those who did not want to wind up in the Choice system, have agreed to sign,” Ballotti said. “The pause, if there was one out there, has reversed.”  

Four hospitality companies — Wyndham, Choice, Marriott and Pebblebrook — also decided to allocate capital toward buying back some of their own stock, financing it through a variety of means and for different reasons. 

Bortz said Pebblebrook has been buying back its stock instead of investing in additional resort or urban properties because the company likes its current portfolio mix and wants to own a greater percentage of assets under its flag. 

Wyndham bought back $57M of shares in Q1, and its board increased its repurchase authorization by $400M. Allen said the company believes its stock is significantly undervalued at the current trading levels, representing a compelling investment opportunity.

Q1 was a period of recovery for some REITs, including Host Hotels & Resorts, which suffered substantial fallout from the August 2023 Maui wildfires . The impact is still hitting Host's bottom line, with an estimated decline of 310 basis points in first-quarter RevPAR, factoring in previous growth projections.

The company has three resorts on Maui and is still working through the “evolving nature” of demand on the island, said Jim Risoleo , Host CEO and executive director. 

Air capacity to the island is still down and consistent with where it was in the aftermath of the fires last year, Risoleo said. 

“When the wildfires occurred, devastating wildfires occurred, those folks who might have been new to Maui … they listened to the governor, and the governor said, ‘Stay away from Maui,’” Risoleo said. “Travelers took the governor at his word.”

Those warnings have now been tempered, and Maui hotel owners are working together to put a marketing plan in place, he added.

“We've got to get people back to the island,” Risoleo said. “We have to sell the beauty of Maui and the experiences that they can get.”  

Natural disasters aside, hotel operators are also hoping to recover from an economic environment some fear could stall travel momentum.

Hale said she was concerned about the impact the Federal Reserve may have on slowing the economy, though she has yet to see an impact in the numbers and trends she’s analyzing today. 

“The fact of the matter is the Fed is trying to slow the economy,” Hale said. “We see that reflected in the lower end of the consumer spectrum, whether it's in the form of their spending, their credit and/or what's happening in the economy sector for hotels. If the Fed is successful in slowing the economy, travel will not be immune to the impact of that.”

SHARE STORY

or click here to copy link to clipboard

LOGIN TO BISNOW

We're not asking for your money. This is not a step towards a paywall. Our news is free and we intend to keep it that way.

Enter your email below. We will email you a link to reset your password.

Use the form below to reset your password.

Don't Forget!

Hey, this is important!

Upcoming regulations in the European Union require us to show this pop-up and ask you to agree to keep using Bisnow.com. We want to take 15 seconds to tell you what's going on:

• We need you to be cool with us holding onto your email address (if we already have it) and for us to email you about commercial real estate news and events.
• We need you to be ok with our use of information like your general location or reading habits to personalize your experience, so we can suggest the right stories to read or events for you to attend.
• We need you to know that security is our top priority and that we hold any information we have about you under lock and key.

Sound good? Just hit yes and continue on your way.

Not receiving emails?

Elektrostal

City in moscow oblast, russia / from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, dear wikiwand ai, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:.

Can you list the top facts and stats about Elektrostal?

Summarize this article for a 10 year old

View prices for your travel dates

• Excellent 6
• Very Good 11
• All languages ( 25 )
• Russian ( 25 )
• English ( 0 )

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

ELEKTROSTAL HOTEL

What is a credit bureau?

What are the three major credit bureaus, why are my credit reports different from each other.

• Freezing your credit reports to avoid fraud
• Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What are the three credit bureaus?

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate products and services to help you make smart decisions with your money.

• The three major credit bureaus that track your credit history are Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
• The credit bureaus compile your credit history into a credit report, which is used to calculate credit scores.
• Credit bureaus are required to provide security measures, such as credit freezes and fraud alerts.

Your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your financial life. Most people know what a credit score is, but many don't fully understand where they come from. Behind the scenes, credit scores and the credit reports they rely on are tracked and managed by three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

These three major credit bureaus play a powerful role in your finances. Here's what you need to know about Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

A credit bureau, also called a credit reporting agency, tracks your activity related to credit, which encompasses debt, borrowing, and a few other limited activities. They compile this information into a credit report, which is condensed into a credit score by  FICO , VantageScore, or other credit scoring models. Lenders use the information on these credit reports to assess your credit risk.  

Credit bureaus keep tabs on everyone's data — whether they like it or not. Even if you had no idea they existed, odds are the credit bureaus have records on you if you've ever had any credit card, auto loan, mortgage loan, or other loan accounts in the US, particularly in the last 10 years. They get this information through your creditors and public records.

The government heavily regulates credit bureaus, particularly the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. However, it's important to remember that credit bureaus are multinational, for-profit, publicly traded companies. They make money by selling your credit reports for permitted uses such as lending, insurance, employment, or rental housing.

Try risk free with our 60-day money-back guarantee. 24/7 customer support included with all plans.

$15 monthly or $144 annually

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Solid range of protections including parental controls
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes antivirus, VPN, and password manager features
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Reasonable pricing for couples and families
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No social media monitoring

Aura ID Theft Protection offers comprehensive identity protection at some of the best prices on the market, which should be expected from one of the services we included in both our credit monitoring and identity theft protection guides.

• All plans come with 24/7 customer support
• Every adult member on your plan is backed by $1,000,000 insurance policy to cover eligible losses and fees due to identity theft.
• Enjoy a 60-day money-back guarantee on annual plans.
• 60-day money back guarantee is only available for annual plans purchased through Aura’s websites (excludes Amazon) or via the Customer Support team.

There are quite a few credit reporting companies. However, your lender will check your credit with one of three: Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax. The services they offer are largely the same, though a few differences are useful to know.

Experian is a global data analytics company and credit reporting agency with details on about 245 million individuals and 27 million businesses in the US. In addition to credit scoring information, it tracks household demographics, vehicle records, and other large data sets.

Experian offers free access to credit reports and credit scores through its website or mobile app. It offers extensive credit education resources to help consumers improve their credit and free credit monitoring included in our guide on the  best credit monitoring service . Experian also offers a paid credit locking service, which prevents certain third parties from viewing your credit report. This lock comes with $1 million in  identity theft  insurance. 

One unique feature at Experian is Experian Boost , a product that allows you to add information from utility or phone bills as part of your positive credit history, which can instantly improve your credit score.

While Experian has a generally positive reputation, it earned negative press in 2015 for its role in a data breach where the information of 15 million consumers was potentially exposed. It was also fined by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2017 for providing misleading credit score information to consumers.

Experian traces its roots to 1968 and was established in its current form in 1996. It's headquartered in Ireland, and its stock is listed on the London Stock Exchange. It is a component of the FTSE 100 index, a major index for UK stocks similar to the  US's Dow Jones Industrial Average  or  S&P 500 . The operational headquarters for the company is located in Nottingham, UK, with a major US office in Costa Mesa, California.

Based in Chicago, TransUnion is an international credit and data reporting company with information on one billion consumers in over 30 countries. TransUnion data covers over 200 million consumers in the US and offers credit improvement resources to help you improve your credit history and score.

TransUnion is a data source for several popular apps that allow you to check your credit score , including Credit Karma. Like its competitors, TransUnion offers credit reports and/or scores to customers in the financial sector, employers, landlords, and others who need access to credit details.

For consumers, TransUnion offers a paid credit locking service with $1 million in identity theft insurance and a paid credit monitoring service. It also owns IdentityForce , one of the services included in our guide on the best identity theft protection services .

Founded in 1968, TransUnion is publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is a component of the Russell 1000 index . It has a generally positive reputation, though it has run into challenges, particularly around transparency for how it charges for TransUnion consumer products. In April of 2022, the CFPB charged TransUnion , two of its subsidiaries, and a longtime executive director for deceptive marketing around their credit scores and credit-related products.

Equifax is a multinational credit reporting agency that operates in 25 countries. It tracks consumer data on more than 222 million US consumers. Equifax offers a range of business and consumer credit products. Major consumer products include a free credit lock product and a comprehensive credit monitoring solution. Equifax also operates ID Watchdog , an identity theft protection service.

This credit bureau is perhaps best known for the data breach in 2017 that affected 147 million consumers in all 50 states. This led to a settlement worth more than $575 million and included both civil penalties and an offer of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection to affected individuals. 

Major industries supported by Equifax credit reports include financial firms, insurance companies, retailers, healthcare providers, utilities, and government agencies.

Equifax was founded in 1899 in Atlanta, where it is still headquartered. Its stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is a member of the S&P 500.

If you were to pull all three credit reports at once, you would likely find that they don't exactly match. If you get your credit score from the three credit reporting bureaus, they would probably be roughly similar but, again, not exactly the same.

Timing differences between updates of your credit report could cause discrepancies. For example, TransUnion might've gotten data on your credit balances just after you made a big payment, so the credit scoring algorithm might've given you a few extra points. They could be caused by a credit account reporting to one credit bureau and not the others, though this is less likely as most creditors report to all three bureaus. Your credit scores may vary because you're comparing a  VantageScore  credit score to a FICO credit score.

If one of your scores is very different from the other two, chances are an error in your credit report is bringing your credit down. Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax get data from banks and other companies through big data files from banks, credit unions, credit card companies, and other sources. This information is cobbled together to form your credit report, making errors common. According to a study by the Federal Trade Commission, about one in five consumers have errors on their credit reports.

The credit bureaus use different data sources and use different models, which can account for some differences. However, it's important to review your credit report periodically to hunt down incorrect negative information.

What are the credit bureaus required to provide me?

Credit bureaus are required to provide services to protect consumers, as mandated by various laws. Below are some protection features that consumers can access for free.

Viewing your credit reports

The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires credit bureaus to provide consumers with a free credit report every 12 months. The credit bureaus have since expanded accessibility, allowing consumers to request free weekly credit reports. 

Consumers can access their credit reports through AnnualCreditReport.com .

Credit report disputes 

With so many credit histories to keep track of, credit bureaus are susceptible to credit reporting errors. These can be minor, such as a misspelled name or wrong address. However, some errors can hurt your credit score, like an erroneous hard inquiry on your credit report.

As a consumer, you have a right to dispute an error on your credit report , which the credit bureaus must investigate and correct within a maximum of 30 days — 45 days if you dispute an error after receiving a free credit report.

Correcting an error on your credit report can improve your credit score and your approval odds for better interest rates for future loans .

Entering a dispute for your credit report with any of the three credit-reporting agencies is easiest for most people to do online. If you're not comfortable managing this process on the web, you can generally also handle it by mail.

Here are links to start a dispute at Experian , TransUnion , and Equifax .

Fraud alerts

A fraud alert on your credit report compels lenders to take reasonable measures to check a borrower's identity, adding an extra layer of security over your credit reports. 

You only have to call one credit bureau to place a credit fraud alert. That bureau is legally required to inform the other two bureaus of the alert.

Unfortunately, while placing a fraud alert is free, it's also temporary. Fraud alerts generally last one year. You may be eligible for an extended fraud alert, which lasts seven years if your identity has been stolen ynd you have an identity theft report . 

Credit freeze

One positive result of the Equifax data breach is that it led to the ability to freeze and unfreeze your credit report for free. Before September 2018, freezing your credit cost $10 every time you used it. The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act made credit freezes free. 

Freezing your credit  is similar to the credit locking services that the credit bureaus offer. However, credit locks are products credit bureaus provide that aren't necessarily free but offer some benefits, including identity theft insurance. Meanwhile, credit freezes are guaranteed free by law. When you freeze your credit, your credit reports are unavailable to certain third parties, potential identity thieves included. If you want to open a new credit account, you must unfreeze your credit while applying.

Unlike a fraud alert, you must freeze each credit report individually. On the other hand, credit freezes last indefinitely, so you don't have to worry about resetting anything. Head to the credit bureau websites or download their mobile apps to set up your account and handle freezing and unfreezing your credit.

Why is understanding the credit bureaus important?

Understanding the credit bureaus can help you keep track of your credit score while building credit . They can also add layers of security to reduce the risk of identity theft . 

You may be able to find similar services elsewhere. In fact, some of the best identity theft protection services are owned by the credit bureaus. 

With an active focus on your credit report and credit scores from the three credit reporting bureaus, you can build an excellent credit score that gets you access to the best borrowing products, including the best rewards credit cards and interest rates available. It may not happen overnight, but it's definitely worth the time and effort to improve your credit.

Credit bureau frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Yes. While Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion are the three major bureaus, there are other credit bureaus. Innovis is another consumer credit bureau, considered the "fourth credit bureau." Another important consumer credit agency is ChexSystems, which tracks negative histories with bank accounts. The CFPB maintains a  list of consumer reporting agencies  they update annually.

You can access one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once weekly. You have to go to AnnualCreditReport.com to access these reports.

It's easy to confuse credit reporting agencies for credit rating agencies. Not only do they sound very similar, but there are also three major credit rating agencies: Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Fitch. These agencies, dubbed "The Big Three," rate the risk that a bond will default much like how a credit score rates the risk that a borrower will default. 

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

**Enrollment required.

• Main content

THE 10 BEST Resorts near Museum of Labor Glory, Elektrostal

Resorts near museum of labor glory, property types, distance from, traveller rating, hotel class.

• Best Value Properties ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data, including traveller ratings, confirmed availability from our partners, prices, booking popularity and location, as well as personal user preferences and recently viewed hotels.
• Traveller Ranked Highest rated hotels on Tripadvisor, based on traveller reviews.
• Distance from Museum of Labor Glory See properties located closest to the place of interest first with confirmed availability for your dates from our partners.

• Agri-Commodities
• Asean Economic Community
• Banking & Finance
• Business Sense
• Entrepreneur
• Executive Views
• Export Unlimited
• Harvard Management Update
• Monday Morning
• Mutual Funds
• Stock Market Outlook
• The Integrity Initiative
• Editorial cartoon
• Design&Space
• Digital Life
• 360° Review
• Biodiversity
• Climate Change
• Environment
• Envoys & Expats
• Health & Fitness
• Mission: PHL
• Perspective
• Today in History
• Tony&Nick
• When I Was 25
• Wine & Dine
• Live & In Quarantine
• Bulletin Board
• Public Service
• The Broader Look

Today’s front page, Wednesday, May 15, 2024

BOC, DICT rolls out e-Travel Customs System

• Joel R. San Juan
• May 9, 2024
• 2 minute read

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have launched the e-Travel Customs System in all international airports to enable passengers to declare their baggage and currencies electronically.

The BOC announced on Thursday that one QR code per passenger, whether arriving or departing, shall be used in the e-Travel System starting Thursday, May 10, for a “seamless travel clearance.”

Through the e-Travel system, passengers can now fill out the electronic versions of the Customs Baggage Declaration Form (e-CBDF) and Currencies Declaration Form (e-CDF) using the e-Travel website at  https://etravel.gov.ph/  or by downloading the eGovPH application.

Passengers must complete the electronic forms within 72 hours, or three days, before arriving or departing from the Philippines, the BOC noted.

All passengers entering the country must complete the e-CBDF form, while those leaving the country who are bringing in or taking out more foreign or local currency than permitted must fill-out the e-CDF form.

Upon arrival or before departure, the BOC said that passengers must present their passports to the Immigration Officer for e-Travel registration confirmation and the QR Code to the Customs Officer for clearance.

In addition, the BOC reminded the public of its strict enforcement of the regulations on cross-border transfer of currencies.

Any person bringing in or taking out of the Philippines US$10,000 or its equivalent is required to declare the entire amount brought into or taken out of the Philippines in the e-CDF.

As for the Philippine currency, a person is only allowed to bring into or take out of the Philippines an amount not exceeding P50,000.

A written authorization from the Bangko Sentral is required for amounts above the limit, and the entire amount brought into or taken out of the Philippines must be declared in the e-CDF, the BOC said.

The BSP permits cross-border transfer of local currency exceeding the limit only for the purpose of testing/calibration/configuration of money counting/sorting machines, numismatics (collection of currency), and currency awareness.

“Violation of the rules on cross-border transfer of currencies or false declaration or non-declaration of Philippine or foreign currencies shall result in confiscation by Customs authorities,” the BOC warned.

The BOC said that the BSP does not issue a written authorization upon arrival or after confiscation of the excess currency.

DOJ warns prison guards vs abuses during searches

Ombudsman affirms charges vs DBM officials, Pharmally execs

DOT: Sofitel Manila closure ‘significant loss to tourism’

• Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
• May 15, 2024

KAISA SA SINING | Biñan as a CCP Regional Art Center

• John Paul H. De Paz

BIÑAN PUTO LATIK FESTIVAL | A celebration of tradition, talent and identity

• John Eiron R. Francisco

BIÑAN’S BIG THREE | Guardians of progress, keepers of heritage

Chr probers swoop down on muntinlupa.

• May 14, 2024

Escudero eyes government-mandated testing to cover all illegal drugs

• Butch Fernandez

LTO rejects solons’ bid to end contract with IT provider, says Dermalog support is crucial

• Jovee Marie N. de la Cruz

Senators miffed by delay in improvement of regional airports

Comelec appeals to public to help in vetting poll bets.

• Samuel P. Medenilla

Bong Go advocates for enhanced skills development

• BusinessMirror

Former and incumbent lawmakers dismiss leaked document by ex-agent

Marcos: Complex security issues need ‘bold response’

• Samuel Medenilla
• May 13, 2024

Barbers asks FMJr to shave BI power to convert visas

Senate union welcomes sc decision on red-tagging, pro-bske postponement congressmen ask dilg to ensure witnesses’ presence in hearings.

• Photo Gallery

PHOTO GALLERY: Sleepy far-flung towns in the Philippines will host US forces returning to counter China threats

• Jim Gomez and Aaron Favila / The Associated Press

Sofitel closure to further hike room rates in 5-star hotels

Remulla: RP-US nuke power accord legal

Mining firm blames heavy rains, earthquake for tailings dam failure.

• Jonathan L. Mayuga

165th Malasakit Center opens in Rosales, Pangasinan

Input your search keywords and press Enter.

AI, but make it fashion; Can travel be more accessible?: CBC's Marketplace cheat sheet

Consumer and health news you need from the week.

Social Sharing

Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's  Marketplace  rounds up the consumer and health news you need.

Want this in your inbox? Get the  Marketplace   newsletter every Friday .

Airlines are pledging to improve services for passengers with disabilities

This week Ottawa hosted a summit in response to media reports of passengers with disabilities facing problems on planes. MPs said the airline industry has agreed to adopt a common medical form and to explore improved data-sharing but did not announce new penalties for mistreating travellers with disabilities. The day before the summit, Transport Minister Pablo Rodriguez said airline industry representatives were attending "in good faith" and that the federal government would consider new penalties. "It could be serious consequences," he said. "All of that will be decided after this summit." But no new penalties were announced at the summit's closing. Rodriguez said he wants to work with the industry first and see if it can improve the situation for travellers. "You don't want to get at the end when you have to impose fines ... if we have to do that, that's absolutely on the table," he said. Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera said the form for travellers will "streamline the travel preparation process, making it easier for people travelling with disabilities. She says the industry has pledged to explore ways to collect and share data with the federal government and regulatory agencies to improve outcomes for travellers.  Read More Want to see what it's   like to travel with a disability?  Marketplace  put Air Canada, Uber, Lyft, and beyond to the test. Spoiler: It doesn't go well. You can watch the full episode,  Access Denied,  anytime on  CBC Gem  and  YouTube . 

Consumers are complaining about an 'aggressive' company selling water systems door-to-door

For Natalie Lent, every day in her home feels like a boil-water advisory since she only uses bottled water, even for cooking.  But there has been no official warning. In fact, the Nova Scotia woman has three new filtration systems for her well water, valued at nearly $12,000, collecting dust. "It's really just an ornament at this point for me," Lent said, pointing to her water softener system. She bought them last July from Atlantic Environmental Systems, a water filtration company based in Dartmouth, N.S., that is now under scrutiny. At the time, Lent had just moved into her rural home along the Minas Basin and called the company to inquire about their products.  "There was a sulphur smell, the water was quite hard. So that was one of the priorities on the list of things that I had to do was to put in a water system because water is a necessity," she said. After a salesperson came to her home to pitch products, she agreed to the sale. The 53-year-old changed her mind a few days later when the installers arrived and did not answer her questions, such as what to do if she were to lose power. "When I asked them to stop, all of a sudden there's more people in my basement helping them speed up the process to put this in," Lent said. "Since then it's been a nightmare." She is not alone with her concerns about Atlantic Environmental Systems. CBC News has learned the provincial government is examining whether the company has violated the Direct Sellers Regulation Act. It has given the company an opportunity to respond before deciding in the coming weeks if its seller's permit should be cancelled or suspended. It comes after receiving a series of complaints from homeowners across Nova Scotia, and follows a P.E.I. decision last August that revoked the company's licence.  Atlantic Environmental appealed that decision  and lost in April. The owner of Atlantic Environmental Systems, Danny Goldman, disputes any wrongdoing by the company he founded five years ago. He told CBC News that his company is ethical and "does not target certain age demographics." "Ninety-nine per cent of our customers are happy. You can't make everyone happy. It's just part of being in business," said Goldman.  Read More

Fake photos, but make it fashion: Why the Met Gala pics are just the beginning of AI deception

Actor Jared Leto carrying around his own head as an accessory? Real. Rapper Lil Nas X,  painted head to toe in silver , his body encrusted with pearls and crystals, wearing only a metallic Dior thong? It happened. Actor and singer Billy Porter, wearing a catsuit,  carried into the event  by six shirtless men in gold pants? Yes.  If there's any event where it might be difficult to discern reality from fantasy, it's the Met Gala. But this year, people weren't tripped up by the fashion choices (which were relatively tame, naked dresses aside). Instead, they were confused about which celebrities were actually there, thanks to AI-generated images during one of fashion's biggest nights. And while the AI photos swirling online of celebrities like Katy Perry and Rihanna might seem harmless, experts note that each instance of people being misled by generative AI underlines growing concerns around the misuse of this technology. It's particularly concerning regarding disinformation and the potential to carry out scams, identity theft or propaganda, and even election manipulation, they said. Perry re-posted two of the AI-generated images to her Instagram Monday night, writing that she "couldn't make it to the Met, had to work." She also included a video of herself in the studio, and a screenshot of a text from her mom complimenting her outfit. In the text, Perry responded, "lol mom the AI got to you too, BEWARE!"  Read More

Have you been duped by AI? Maybe what you bought wasn't what you got, or a chatbot gave you wrong information. We want to hear about it. Email us at  [email protected]

The Competition Bureau is investigating Lululemon over greenwashing allegations

The Competition Bureau has opened an investigation into Lululemon's environmental claims in its marketing campaigns, a spokesperson for the agency told CBC News on Monday. Marianne Blondin confirmed in an email that the bureau "has commenced an investigation under the Competition Act into the alleged deceptive marketing practices." "There is no conclusion of wrongdoing at this time," she wrote. "As the Bureau is obligated by law to conduct its work confidentially, I cannot provide further details on this case at this time." Stand.earth, the non-profit that filed the complaint against the B.C.-based athleisure giant accusing it of greenwashing, had announced the investigation earlier on Monday. The complaint, which the non-profit said was filed in February, says Lululemon's Be Planet sustainability campaign from 2020 — in which the company said it would work to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions — is contradicted by a 2022 impact report that outlined Lululemon's progress in reaching its climate goals. The impact report shows the company's Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions — indirect emissions that occur as a result of a company's activities, including those produced by customers using its products — increased from about 471,100 tonnes in 2020 to 847,400 tonnes in 2022. Lululemon wrote in its report that this area "needs acceleration." The company also wrote in 2020 that it "leaned into investments and partnerships to develop sustainable materials that demonstrate our leadership in product innovation and environmental harm reduction."  A spokesperson for Lululemon said the company is aware of the "review" by the Competition Bureau and that it is "committed to co-operating on any next steps." "We are confident that its review will confirm that the representations we make to the public are accurate and well-supported," the spokesperson said in the statement to CBC News on Monday.  Read More Some of fashion's biggest brands say they've gone green, but Marketplace found they're not going far enough. You can watch the full episode,  Exposing the Secrets of Sustainable Fashion  anytime on  CBC Gem  and  YouTube .

What else is going on?

Invested with FTX? The company says you'll likely get your money back It's been nearly two years since the cryptocurrency exchange imploded, and it owes creditors $11.2 billion.

TikTok is suing the U.S. over 'obviously unconstitutional' law that would ban it If it loses, the company will be forced to shut down next year.

The federal government is trying to coax international grocers to set up shop in Canada The plan is to drive prices down with competition, but industry analysts are skeptical. 

Marketplace needs your help!

Have you spotted a healthy claim on a product that was too good to be true? Maybe you've seen a product that doesn't have an ingredient or health benefit it claims it does.  Send us your "lousy labels" the next time you shop for groceries!  [email protected] .

Are you looking for the latest in business news? You'll want to subscribe to this newsletter, too.

Mind Your Business is your weekly look at what's happening in the worlds of economics, business and finance. Subscribe now .

Catch up on past episodes of  Marketplace  on  CBC Gem .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenny Cowley is an investigative journalist in Toronto. She has previously reported for CBC in Nova Scotia. You can reach her at [email protected].

Related Stories

• Get informed on the top stories of the day in one quick scan

Add some “good” to your morning and evening.

Subscribe to our newsletter for consumer news, tips and insider info to help you save cash and stay healthy.