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1. Strikes in Germany Complicate Travel
Germany's EVG rail and transport union is holding a nationwide strike Friday as workers demand higher paychecks to offset rising inflation in the economy, Reuters reports.
The strike, which coincides with a separate strike at three airports, will affect 50 rail companies including national operator Deutsche Bahn.
"Not a single train will run [in the country]," EVG representative Cosima Ingenschay told the news outlet.
Deutsche Bahn's human resources board member Martin Seiler said the walkout would also affect long-distance trains. Seiler states that "the EVG [union] has completely lost its sense of proportion and is only bent on chaos."
2. Cherry Blossoms Draw Travelers to Japan
Japan travel demand surged during March to its highest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to overseas tourists arriving for cherry blossom season, Reuters reports.
There were a total of 1.82 million business and leisure travelers in the month, up from the 1.48 million in February, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Compared to March 2019, however, arrivals were still down 34%.
3. Hospitality Groups Partner With LeBron James Family Foundation
Graduate Hotels, Saira Hospitality and the LeBron James Family Foundation this month partnered to create Training Camp at House Three Thirty in Akron, Ohio, which is bringing hospitality training to skilled yet underrepresented workers, reports Hotel News Now's Dana Miller.
Speaking with Hotel News Now about the launch of the nine-week program, Graduate President Kevin Osterhaus said it highlights foundational hospitality and general professional development skills.
"I believe that the curriculum is best-in-class. It combines skills such as emotional intelligence, communication, leadership and personal brand-building with experiential hands-on learning focused on anything from food and beverage, hospitality service, guest services and operational best practices across the board. It runs the spectrum of skills that we can help people with in this industry," he said.
4. Gen Z Are Frequent Travelers
More than half of American Gen Z adults have taken three or more leisure trips in the past year despite a comparatively lower income than other generations, CNBC reports, citing data research company Morning Consult.
Lindsey Roeschke, travel and hospitality analyst at Morning Consult, told the news outlet that because Gen Z is more exposed to travel inspiration through social media, traveling has become mainstream for them.
“In short, they’re being raised in a society where travel is more prioritized than it was for past generations,” she told CNBC, adding that “brands need to pay attention now.”
5. US Weekly Hotel Performance Rises
The latest weekly data from STR, CoStar's hospitality analytics firm, shows U.S. hotel performance rose from the previous week, and year-over-year comparisons were boosted by the Easter calendar shift.
For the week of April 9-15, occupancy was 64.2%, up 3.7% from the comparable week in 2022. Average daily rate climbed 4.7% to $155.33, boosting revenue per available room by 8.6% to $99.67.