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ResortPass Survey Finds Americans Want to Take More Local and Shorter Escapes During Summer

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Americans hoping to take more vacations this summer; Only about 1 out of 3 employed Americans took all their PTO last year

NEW YORK, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ResortPass – the leading app for booking day access at luxury hotels – released the results of a survey conducted on their behalf by The Harris Poll, revealing changes in how Americans view their summer travel habits and leisure behavior. The survey found that 72% of Americans say they often wish they had more memorable summer outings once the season is over, likely in part because Americans only took 1.6 vacations, on average, last summer, while 70% of employed Americans (defined as those employed full-time) say that unless they’re taking a trip, they just stay at home during PTO in the summer.

However, there are several ways Americans may shift their behavior, including taking more vacations – 56% more, on average, than in 2023 – and making time for more frequent, shorter trips – 67% of Americans agree that taking more shorter trips is more restful than taking fewer, longer vacations and 85% of employed Americans say they feel recharged after taking only one day off of work. By fitting in more local escapes, Americans are nearly three times more likely to travel locally (within 100 miles) than internationally this summer (49% vs. 18%).

“Consumers are realizing that if they rely only on long vacations for rest and relaxation, they won’t make the most of their PTO and will be missing out on both the recharge and memorable experiences they can fit in by taking more regular brief escapes,” said Michael Wolf, Chief Executive Officer at ResortPass. “Local getaways and daycations are becoming the new norm, and that’s why the idea of day-guesting – using the hotel amenities without having to book an overnight stay – fits right into this trend.”

Full Survey Findings

Time Off

On average, Americans took 1.6 vacations last summer, but ideally Americans would like to take an average of 2.5 summer vacations70% of employed Americans typically hang out at home when they have time off during the summer and don’t have any trips plannedOnly 36% of employed Americans say they took all their paid time off from work last year67% of Americans say taking more short vacations would be more restful than taking fewer longer vacations85% of employed Americans say they feel recharged after taking a day off of work83% of Americans say you can make better use of hotel amenities when you take vacations on dates when most people are not off work

Leisure

Americans are nearly 3 times more likely to travel locally (within 100 miles) this summer than internationally (49% vs 18%)A majority of Americans may look back on the summer with regret, with 72% saying they “often wish they had more memorable summer outings once the season is over”51% of Americans say food tastes better poolside; 59% of Gen Z (ages 18-27) and millennials (ages 28-43) combined say thisThe top food Americans say is their favorite to eat poolside is ice cream (26%), followed by burgers (23%), pizza (19%) and chips & guacamole (18%); Salad was only 7%.Americans spent 7 days, on average, poolside last summer; 31% spent NO days poolside last summer.

Survey Methodology
The ResortPass Summer Survey was conducted by The Harris Poll from May 10-14, 2024 among 2,094 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, among whom 895 are employed full-time. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval.  For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact resortpass@extensionpr.com.

About ResortPass
ResortPass is leading the rise of the day-guest. ResortPass lets you book day access to luxury hotels to enjoy amenities including pools, spas, rooms and fitness facilities. Whether you’re in need of some R&R in your hometown, a luxurious place to spend the day while traveling, or a beautiful location to work from, ResortPass works with thousands of luxury hotel partners around the US and beyond. For more information, visit https://www.resortpass.com.

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SOURCE ResortPass

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NUH WINS GOLD AT IHF AWARDS 2026 FOR GREEN OPERATING THEATRE PROGRAMME

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 NUH won Gold and received an Honourable Mention for its sustainability efforts at the International Hospital Federation Awards 2026, alongside presentations of its green surgical initiatives, digital health and organisational improvement initiatives at the World Hospital Congress.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The National University Hospital (NUH) has won the Gold Award (Low Carbon Healthcare) for its Green Operating Theatre programme at the International Hospital Federation (IHF) Awards 2026. The hospital also received an Honourable Mention (Hospital Sustainability Acceleration) for its system-wide approach to embedding sustainability across healthcare delivery and hospital operations.

The awards were presented at the 49th World Hospital Congress in Seoul, where NUH is also sharing other initiatives in environmental sustainability, digital health and organisational improvement.

Professor Aymeric Lim, Chief Executive Officer of NUH, said: “Healthcare must become more sustainable without compromising patient care. Our teams have shown that simple, practical changes on the ground, from the way we run our operating theatres to how we use resources, can make a real difference. This recognition belongs to the multi-disciplinary teams and partners who turned ideas into everyday practice, and who continue to improve how we care for our patients.”

Advancing low-carbon healthcare by reducing the environmental impact of surgical care

NUH’s Green Operating Theatre (OT) programme began with efforts to reduce the use of high-carbon anaesthetic gases. What started as a targeted decarbonisation initiative has since grown into a hospital-wide programme that brings together clinicians, nurses, operations teams and facilities staff to drive sustainability across surgical practices, resource use, waste management and energy management.

The programme has achieved a 99 per cent reduction in the use of desflurane, a high-carbon anaesthetic gas, and delivered annual energy savings of about 660,000 kWh by optimising operating theatre ventilation during non-operating hours.

Surgical teams redesigned instrument sets used for high-volume knee replacement procedures to better reflect routine requirements, reducing emissions by almost 10,000 kg CO2e annually while also cutting water use and sterilisation workload. Efforts have also been made to reduce unnecessary consumables and expand medical recycling streams.

Collectively, these initiatives have generated valuable insights that NUH has actively shared through inter-cluster platforms and collaborations, helping to inform the adoption of low-carbon practices across Singapore’s public healthcare system.

Embedding sustainability into everyday healthcare delivery

NUH received an Honourable Mention for its organisation-wide approach to embedding sustainability into hospital planning and operations.

Guided by the IHF Sustainability Accelerator Tool, NUH integrated sustainability into leadership oversight, strategic planning and everyday decision-making, strengthening efforts in Appropriate Value-based Care, virtual care, procurement, workforce engagement and environmental stewardship.

This system-wide approach to advancing a sustainable healthcare system has been recognised internationally. In 2025, NUH became the first hospital worldwide to receive the Joint Commission International-Geneva Sustainability Centre’s Healthcare Sustainability Certification. This year, it was the only hospital in Singapore to be accorded the highest 5-Leaf distinction in Newsweek-Statista’s World’s Greenest Hospitals index.

A new model of rehabilitation care

Recognised as one of the top three healthcare innovations selected for the International Hospital Federation’s i-to-i Innovation Hub Awards 2026, the NUH Virtual Rehabilitation Centre (VRC) is helping to extend rehabilitation beyond hospital walls.

Developed as a virtual-first rehabilitation ecosystem, the VRC combines personalised patient education, self-management tools, AI-enabled telerehabilitation, remote monitoring and digital rehabilitation pathways to support patients throughout their recovery journey. By enabling rehabilitation to continue beyond traditional clinic visits, the VRC improves access to care, strengthens patient participation in recovery and allows therapists to focus their attention on patients with more complex rehabilitation needs. The digital home exercise programme, for instance, supports around 2,000 patients and records about 21,000 logins each month, freeing up the equivalent of 66 physiotherapist workdays annually for direct patient care.

The innovation demonstrates how technology can be used not simply to digitise existing services, but to transform how rehabilitation is delivered at scale.

Helping doctors work smarter with electronic medical records

NUH also presented results from its Great Epic Transformation (GET) programme at the 49th World Hospital Congress in Seoul. The hospital-wide programme trained specialist doctors to personalise their Epic electronic medical record (EMR) workflows, using customised note templates, order sets and shortcuts to work more efficiently.

Nine months after training, participating doctors spent 10.2 per cent less time in the EMR each day, equivalent to more than 33 hours saved per doctor annually, while time spent placing orders fell by 26.5 per cent. Twelve of 13 efficiency measures improved across both medical and surgical specialties. Based on annual estimates, the overall efficiency gains are valued at more than S$91 million a year.

The programme is being extended to allied health professionals and pharmacists across NUHS, with a target of reaching more than 2,000 healthcare professionals by the end of 2026.

About the National University Hospital (NUH)­

The National University Hospital (NUH) is Singapore’s university hospital. While the hospital at Kent Ridge first received its patients on 24 June 1985, our legacy started from 1905, the date of the founding of what is today the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. NUH is the principal teaching hospital of the medical school.

Our unique identity as a university hospital is a key attraction for healthcare professionals who aspire to do more than practise tertiary medical care. We offer an environment where research and teaching are an integral part of medicine, and continue to shape medicine and transform care for the community we care for.

We are an academic medical centre with over 1,200 beds, serving more than one million patients a year with over 50 medical, surgical and dental specialties. NUH is the only public and not-for-profit hospital in Singapore to provide trusted care for adults, women and children under one roof, including the only paediatric kidney and liver transplant programme in the country.

The NUH is a key member of the National University Health System (NUHS), one of three public healthcare clusters in Singapore. For more information, visit www.nuh.com.sg

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SOURCE National University Hospital (NUH)

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NEXCOM NGFW platforms secure growing traffic across modern academic networks

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TAIPEI, Oct. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NEXCOM, a leading supplier of network appliances, is helping academic institutions strengthen network security as digital learning expands across cloud platforms, AI-powered tools, remote access, and connected campus services.

As educational environments become more distributed, academic networks must support growing traffic and diverse connections while protecting sensitive data and maintaining reliable access to learning resources. NEXCOM’s Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) platforms provide a centralized security layer for inspecting and controlling traffic across campus and remote environments.

Learn more about securing digital learning environments in the joint case study.

Centralized Security for Digital Learning

On campus, NGFW platforms can inspect traffic between academic networks and external resources as students and faculty access learning platforms and web services. For remote users, secure VPN connectivity supports authorized access to internal resources while enabling centralized security policies.

“Every new digital service in education adds value for students and educators, but it also adds traffic, connections, and another layer of security responsibility,” says Allan Chiu, VP of Networking and Communication Solutions at NEXCOM. “The challenge is making sure security keeps pace without slowing down the learning experience. NEXCOM’s NGFW platforms provide the performance and scalability needed to secure modern, highly distributed academic networks.”

Scalable Platforms for Network Security

NEXCOM’s portfolio provides scalable platforms for firewall, edge security, secure remote access, and demanding network security workloads. Key platforms include:

NSA 7160R: A 2U high-performance security platform powered by dual Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, with eight PCIe 5.0 expansion slots and throughput of up to 1.6 Tbps.FTA 5190: A compact 1U edge server powered by Intel Xeon 6 SoC technology, designed for reliable connectivity and security at the network edge.

About NEXCOM

Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, NEXCOM is shaping the future of AI-powered networking with its software-defined solutions. Through its Network and Communication Solutions (NCS) unit, NEXCOM delivers cutting-edge platforms for Cybersecurity, OT Security, SD-WAN, SASE, Load Balancing, 5G uCPE, edge AI, and more. NCS specializes in professional design and manufacturing services, enabling reliable and scalable network infrastructures for businesses of all sizes. With a focus on innovation, NEXCOM’s solutions empower customers worldwide to build resilient, high-performance networks tailored to the demands of tomorrow’s connectivity challenges.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nexcom-ngfw-platforms-secure-growing-traffic-across-modern-academic-networks-302916203.html

SOURCE NEXCOM International Co., Ltd.

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Forrester’s 2027 B2B Go-To-Market Predictions: AI Agents Will Influence 75% Of B2B Purchase Decisions

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To remain competitive, providers must strengthen customer trust, substantiate value claims, and offer human expertise and guidance

SINGAPORE, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — According to Forrester’s (Nasdaq: FORR) 2027 B2B go-to-market predictions, business buyers will increasingly deploy AI agents to handle tasks across the buying process, from supplier discovery and information gathering to contract-renewal analysis. While truly autonomous buying will remain concentrated in high-volume, low-risk, and repeatable purchases, the ubiquity of these agents will require providers to ensure that their systems and sellers can respond with speed, accuracy, and consistency.

Forrester’s B2B Predictions reports, covering topics including B2B go-to-market strategy, business buyers, and content and creative, offer forward-looking insights to help executives and their teams anticipate change, reduce uncertainty, and make confident decisions ahead of market shifts. Key highlights from the 2027 B2B go-to-market predictions include:

Buyers will double their human interactions to validate AI-generated recommendations. As AI becomes the primary interface for researching products and providers, buyers will encounter more AI-generated recommendations, synthetic content, automated outreach, and agent-mediated interactions. Since AI cannot fully judge service provider fit, feasibility, trust, or accountability, buyers will require conversations with provider teams and trusted third parties including analysts, customer references, and partners to confirm and validate buying decisions.Two-thirds of providers will lose deals because buyers cannot verify claims. Buyers already use AI-assisted search and analysis tools to gather information about products and vendors, synthesize provider claims, and fact check. As the reliance on these capabilities continue to advance, go-to-market teams will need to act fast to restructure content discovery for AI tools, including providing credible and consistent proof points that AI tools can index and validate.Most CMOs will cut programs or accept reduced capacity after overestimating AI gains. As pressure intensifies to reduce personnel costs with AI, marketing leaders will eliminate as many as 25% of roles in anticipation of productivity gains that fail to meet expectations. As a result, they will have to choose between cutting program budgets to restore capacity through rehiring, contractors, or agency support or accept reduced execution with a smaller team. In either case, lower campaign investment, weaker execution, or both will reduce marketing’s overall value contribution.

“In 2027, the defining challenge for B2B go-to-market leaders will be to make deliberate choices about what to automate and where human judgment still matters,” said Sharyn Leaver, chief research officer at Forrester. “As AI becomes ubiquitous across the buying process, B2B leaders that pair AI-driven speed and convenience with transparency, control, and trust will extract the most value from AI.”

Resources:

Download Forrester’s 2027 Predictions guide for B2B go-to-market.Register for Forrester’s webinar exploring the key trends reshaping B2B go-to-market strategies in 2027.Learn how to turn these predictions into action through Forrester’s global B2B events and research programs.

About Forrester
Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We empower leaders in technology, customer experience, digital, marketing, revenue, and product functions to make confident decisions in an AI-driven world and accelerate growth through customer obsession. Our unique research and continuous guidance model helps executives and their teams achieve their initiatives and outcomes faster and with confidence. To learn more, visit Forrester.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/forresters-2027-b2b-go-to-market-predictions-ai-agents-will-influence-75-of-b2b-purchase-decisions-302915245.html

SOURCE Forrester

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