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1. Tourists start to question Western Europe summer travel
Amid persistent heatwaves and lack of air conditioning infrastructure, more and more travelers are wondering if a summer vacation in Western Europe is viable, the New York Times reports.
Temperatures have soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Paris; Valencia, Spain; and Geneva. American tourists are increasingly seeking accommodations in the region that feature air conditioning.
"Among Americans, searches in Europe using the 'air-conditioned' filter on Hotels.com, which is owned by Expedia, jumped about 700% during the July 2 to July 15 period compared with searches for summer accommodations made three months earlier," the Times reports.
2. UK pubs receive business rate cut while hotels await their turn
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he will lower business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues by 20% from April, Reuters reports. While this is a welcome sight for those industries, the hospitality industry is still seeking some relief as well.
Allen Simpson, CEO of UKHospitality, said the government should go further with its cuts, extending them toward the hotel and restaurant industries.
"Restaurants are struggling just as much as pubs, while hotels are due to see their business rates bills increase by an average of 110%," he said.
3. Wyndham reports second quarter earnings
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts posted U.S. revenue per available room growth of 2% and room openings growth of 7% in the second quarter of 2026, CoStar News Hotels' Sean McCracken reports.
The Parsippany, New Jersey-based hotel brand company raised its full-year constant currency global RevPAR growth to a range of flat to up 1%. It also raised its guidance on net revenues and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.
4. European Central Bank keeps interest rates steady
The European Central Bank kept interest rates steady at 2.25% in its meeting on Thursday, but investors believe the bank will have to raise rates in the near future due to rising inflation caused by the war in the Middle East, the Wall Street Journal reports. In June, the ECB raised interest rates from 2% to 2.25%, the first increase in nearly three years.
"The ECB’s pause will give policymakers time to assess how the collapse of the June U.S.-Iran ceasefire will impact inflation. Renewed fighting has sent oil and natural-gas prices back up, threatening to drive inflation further away from the ECB’s 2% target. Consumer price growth in the eurozone eased to 2.8% in June, from 3.2% in May, after the ceasefire initially drove down energy prices," the newspaper reports.
5. Houston hoteliers underwhelmed by World Cup effect
Houston hosted seven 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, including two knockout stage matches featuring Brazil, Japan, Canada and Morocco. Houston Public Media reports that hotel demand "did not necessarily meet the expectations set."
Similar to other host markets, hotel occupancy dipped in the month of June while revenues increased 15%, the news outlet reports. The Houston World Cup host committee projected an economic impact likened to hosting seven Super Bowls; the actual effect wasn't that severe.
"There definitely was some opportunity for more growth based off of what we all believed ... the market would bring to us with the World Cup," said Ian Bush, vice president of operations at downtown Houston's Hotel ZaZa.