Google has already started promoting Google+ links in web search results, and based on previous searches, the search engine gives users suggestions when entering new search terms. With the new policy change, when a user watches a video YouTube, that information is collected and influences both search results and the paid advertisements that appear on the Google search engine page. In many ways, Google’s new policy is simply streamlining the policies it already had in place across platforms to bring all its products under one privacy umbrella. Meeting planners are often online, conducting searches for travel and meetings. Google will now remember all the searches you make and tailor search content for you.

For users who find this intrusive, there are opt-out options or ways around it. First, don’t sign in when using Google services. Users can visit google.com and perform a web search without being logged in. Google, therefore, is not tracking any one person’s data. Also, for users who prefer Google’s Chrome web browser, searching using the Incognito mode turns off tracking. Another option is to turn Gmail chat to “off the record” (yes, Google can tailor search results based on conversations you’re having in chat).

The most drastic option is to disable your Google or Gmail account altogether. Other Internet search options exist. Microsoft’s Bing is the most similar to Google, with image, video, news and map searches. Its travel search allows users to search multiple travel sites at once and compare the results. Bing’s also offers airfare price predictions for the future. DuckDuckGo’s clean, white homepage resembles that of Google’s, except the familiar multi-color logo is replaced with a cartoon duck. The website claims to offer “way more instant answer and way less spam and clutter,” and it ranked in TIME’s Top 50 Best Websites of 2011. Google users who are concerned about privacy will appreciate DuckDuckGo’s statement: “When you search at DuckDuckGo, we don’t know who you are and there is no way to tie your searches together.” The company can’t share personal information because it doesn’t collect it; the website doesn’t log users’ computer IP addresses. Union Square Ventures recently became the first financial investor in the search engine.

The Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa’s Hot Dates meetings offer gives planners special rates starting at $159 when three nights of 100 rooms or more are booked. The special rate includes welcome drinks, one complimentary room night for every 40 rooms paid, waived resort fee and no attrition. The special applies to select dates through April.

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts is offering a 3 percent discount for any meeting held before March 31 that participates in its green meetings program at participating properties.

Travel organizations, hotel companies and destination marketing organizations lauded the president for the speech. In a statement Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said, “The President’s timing couldn’t be better. U.S. Travel will immediately engage the administration on policies that can benefit our country and all aspects of the travel community. Among our objectives will be for our government to pursue concrete actions to increase international travel, business travel, participation in meetings and conventions, and leisure travel throughout America,” he added.

The president also called for visa reform, which would make it easier for international travelers to enter the country. By executive order, he’s tasked the Departments of State and Homeland Security to interview at least 80 percent of non-immigrant visa applications in three weeks and expand the Visa Waiver Program.

Hotel companies and convention and visitors bureaus also rallied in support of the president’s move. “We’re thrilled with the President’s announcement to augment efforts to reform our visa and entry systems to allow more people to experience the United States,” said Bill Marriott, Marriott International chairman and CEO, in a statement. A study last year by Oxford Economics revealed that visa restrictions kept 116,000 international travelers from attending events in the United States. NYC and Company, the city of New York’s official tourism marketing agency, also issued a statement regarding President Obama’s reforms. It said: “We believe visa reform measures have the ability to create over one million new jobs nationwide and generate billions more in revenue, and applaud the President’s call to accelerate and expand visa issuing and processing in emerging global markets to achieve these goals.” New York City was the nation’s No. 1 tourist destination in 2011 with more than 50 million visitors.

Like New York’s, Las Vegas’ tourism leaders want faster visa processing. “In some instances, there are business people who want to attend important trade shows but the process has made it quite prohibitive,” MGM spokesman Gordon Absher told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “The announcement today is going to help that.”