Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. Meliá to cease all Cuba hotel operations
Spanish hotel chain Meliá Hotels International will end all of its operations in Cuba effective this Friday, the Associated Press reports. A statement from the company said its decision was due to “the significant operational, legal, economic and financial difficulties that have persistently affected, and continue to affect, the environment” in Cuba.
Meliá initially suspended the management of 15 of its 34 Cuban hotels back in early June in response to U.S. sanctions on Cuba.
"U.S. measures against companies operating in Cuba include freezing their assets and seizing their accounts in the U.S. — meaning they can no longer operate in the U.S. financial market — and also travel bans for their shareholders, investors and employees," the AP reports.
2. Saudi Arabia introduces one-year, multiple-entry Umrah visa
According to the Saudi Press Agency, Saudi Arabia has unveiled a new multiple-entry Umrah visa that is valid for 365 days from the date of issuance and allows a cumulative stay of up to 90 days over its validity, Gulf Business reports.
"The initiative forms part of the Kingdom’s broader efforts under Saudi Vision 2030 and the Pilgrim Experience Program to simplify travel procedures, enhance the visitor experience and improve the efficiency of services for pilgrims," the news outlet reports.
3. Lessons learned from hosting the World Cup
Markets that hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup matches predictably saw performance accelerate on match days, but there were some surprises in how it played out in totality, CoStar News Hotels reports.
Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality analytics at CoStar Group, said booking windows didn't materially change from a standard summer pattern.
"I was super surprised that the booking window did not change as much as I thought it should," he said. "A lot of reporters we talked to were like, 'Oh my god, does that mean nobody's coming?' It turns out that the booking window was not different from any other week [or] from any other major event, that people just took a long time."
4. UK inflation dips in June
U.K. inflation slowed to the lowest level in 15 months in June, the Wall Street Journal reports. Consumer prices were up 2.6% in the month, down from 2.8% in May.
Despite the respite in June, prices are expected to rise in the coming months after gas and electricity regulator Ofgem lifted the energy-price cap for households by 13% at the start of July, the newspaper reports. The Bank of England is anticipating inflation to peak at about 3.75% in the fourth quarter.
“June’s peace deal and the subsequent reduction in oil-and-gas prices helped cool CPI inflation. This will be a welcome figure to start the new prime minister’s premiership, but the honeymoon period will be short-lived,” said Charlotte O’Leary, associate economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
5. Holiday Inn signs 24-hotel deal in China
Holiday Inn signed 24 hotels across the Greater China region, IHG Hotels & Resorts said in a news release. The hotels will be in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhanjiang, Yinchuan, Hulunbeir, Nanchang and Yichang.
"The portfolio includes projects such as Holiday Inn NECC Shanghai, positioned to capture business and MICE demand through its strategic location near the National Exhibition and Convention Center; Holiday Inn Shanghai Caohejing, located in a major high-tech industry cluster, enhancing the brand's business market presence," the news release states.
Currently, Holiday Inn has 168 open hotels and 106 pipeline hotels in Greater China.