News in Brief :Cedar Fair, Six Flags wrap up $8 billion merger

Solo travel gains, especially with older women (Pixabay) Solo travel is increasingly popular, especially with older women, according to surveys and travel advisers. "Many are women who have gone through a major life event and want to get back out there to reaffirm their independence and autonomy through wellness and adventure travel," said Rebecca Alesia, a travel adviser with SmartFlyer in Oyster Bay, N.Y.  Full Story: Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (tiered subscription model) (7/5)

Avid players plan trips around catching Pokémon Some people who play the mobile-phone game Pokémon Go are sufficiently passionate about it that they organize vacations around events and spots "inhabited" by rare creatures. "It gave us a focus of where to go," says Anne Bains, whose honeymoon was a global Pokémon chase with stops from New York to Hong Kong.  Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (7/5)

U.S. Travel's ESTO program brings James Beard Award-winning ice cream maker Jeni Britton to the stage

Nationally recognized brand leader Jeni Britton -- the Founder & Chief Brand Officer of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream, a New York Times bestseller and winner of a James Beard Award will take the stage in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 12 to share her story of resilience, creativity and the art of building an iconic brand. Dubbed one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, attendees will gain insights into creative thinking, strategic decisions, brand development and authenticity. Learn more about the ESTO event content.

NYC dominates summer's busiest domestic flight routes New York City appears to be the busiest air travel destination in the US this summer, as it features in all of the top six domestic routes and eight of the top 10. One of those routes is from Los Angeles, and flights from Dallas and Las Vegas to L.A. round out the top 10 busiest routes.  Full Story: Simple Flying (7/6)  NASCAR street race aims to deliver tourists to Chicago The holiday weekend's Chicago Street Race saw NASCAR aiming to deliver tourists to the city and expose a more diverse set of fans to the racing sport. "Our unparalleled skyline provides a stunning backdrop for NASCAR's television and streaming audiences, and that's to say nothing of the economic benefits that come with the event," said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce CEO Jack Lavin.  Full Story: Axios (7/3)    Ohio Ice Cream Trail offers 54 stops TourismOhio's Ice Cream Trail now has 54 stops highlighting locally made ice cream at family owned outlets and nationally recognized companies. "The Trail truly shows that we're the heart of it all, bringing together our state's rich agricultural heritage, culinary culture, manufacturing innovation, and support for small businesses," said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development.  Full Story: Dayton Daily News (Ohio) (tiered subscription model) (7/5)  Google app can be used as hotel key, digital ID coming Google Wallet appears to be closing in on releasing a digital ID that could serve as an alternative to physical passports. Google has already deployed a feature that allows users to use Android phones as a hotel room key.  Full Story: Android Central (7/5)   Wyndham Connect enhances the guest experience Wyndham Connect, a new guest engagement platform from Wyndham Hotel & Resorts, has been introduced at almost 2,000 hotels in North America. The technology enables smart mobile check-in and checkout, allows workers to use AI-generated messages to easily communicate with guests and provides upselling opportunities such as early check-in, late checkout and customized upgrades.  Full Story: Hotel Management online (7/1)

	Unlock Content Resources you Already Have 90% of B2B marketers include content in their marketing strategies. It is vital to an organization's success to create and execute content campaigns to connect with audiences. The end result is to foster a connection that is conducive to generating highly valuable leads. Read more.