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1. Median household income increases in the US while poverty declines
Recent Census Bureau data shows that median household income in America ticked up to $87,460 in 2025, but, when adjusted for inflation, it's only a small increase from the previous peak in 2019, CBS News reports.
The data also showed that women's paychecks increased 3.2% while men's paychecks decreased slightly. In 2025, women earned 84 cents for every dollar men earned, which is an increase from 81 cents in 2024. Meanwhile, the top 10% of earners saw an income growth of 1.7% to $261,300 in 2025 while the poorest 10% saw a decline to just above $20,000.
"It's notable that the median income for the top earners is increasing, while income for the lowest earners is stagnant," said Kristin Seefeldt, associate professor of social work and public policy at the University of Michigan. "The tax code has been revised to lower marginal tax rates for everybody, and we see the top earners benefiting from that."
2. Trip bookings continue as travel costs creep up
Over half of the travelers surveyed by travel insurance company Squaremouth made no changes to their 2026 summer travel plans despite costs rising this year, CNBC reports. Of the travelers indicating that they made changes to plans — such as traveling closer to home, shortening their trips or choosing cheaper destinations — only 3% of those surveyed said they canceled their trips.
“People aren’t dismissing the cost pressures we’ve seen this year; travel has just become something more people budget around rather than give up,” says Jackie Mondelli, Squaremouth’s chief marketing officer. “Instead of skipping a trip entirely, travelers are more likely to adjust the trip to fit their budget.”
3. Hotel sales teams should keep human touch in AI era
Artificial intelligence is a useful tool in the hotel sales process, but it's not a replacement for the human element, Doug Kennedy, the president and co-founder of the Kennedy Training Network, said on the latest episode of the "CoStar News Hotels" podcast.
AI tools can help hotels respond quickly and efficiently, but it's still important that sales professionals personally follow up.
"The key is what happens after that initial AI response," he said.
4. Travelers increasingly pleased with airports
Despite consistent increases in passenger volume at airports, overall satisfaction with North American airports increased, according to the JD Power 2026 North America Airport Satisfaction Study. This increased satisfaction is tied to recent capital improvement projects that have delivered over the recent years.
“For the better part of the last decade, nearly every airport, from the largest international hubs to midsized airfields, has undertaken a significant capital improvement project aimed at streamlining passenger flow, adding attractive food and beverage options and improving overall passenger experience,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at JD Power. “On the whole, those efforts are finally starting to pay off in the form of higher overall passenger satisfaction scores."
The report also ranked the top airports by passenger satisfaction, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport ranked as the top three "mega airports," respectively.
5. Hilton grows presence in UK
In partnership with London-based owner AG Hotels Group, Hilton plans to open 10 Spark by Hilton hotels with a total of 672 rooms in the United Kingdom, reports CoStar News' Terence Baker.
The batch of new hotels, which are all scheduled to deliver before 2028, include the 100-room Spark by Hilton Derby Station; 99-room Spark by Hilton Peterborough Norman Cross; 79-room Spark by Hilton Washington Newcastle South; and more.
Girish Grover, AG’s founder and CEO, said his firm’s strategy is “to build a scaled, high-quality hospitality platform by acquiring, repositioning and investing in well-located hotels across the U.K., combining strong operational capability with leading global brands.”