Chris Thompson will be Brand USA's next CEO, the U.S. Travel Association reports. Thompson is currently president and CEO for Visit Florida.

The Exuma economy is hanging in the balance as the largest private employer on that island — Sandals Emerald Bay Resort — is in danger of closing its doors, according to Prime Minister Perry Christie. The resort employs 600 people.

IHG, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announces the expansion of the IHG Academy through a collaboration with Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia to establish Canada’s first program and the ninth in the region. The IHG Academy is a global network of educational and community organizations allied with local IHG-branded hotels or corporate offices.