Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. China To Resume Domestic, But Not International, Group Tour Travel
China's culture and tourism ministry announced the country is easing rules on travel agencies organizing group tours within the country's borders but is retaining its ban on international groups — both inbound and outbound, Reuters reports.
The news agency notes: "Tourists can make cross-province trips organised by travel agencies with proof of negative test results, and are no longer subject to an earlier rule that ban some of such trips when COVID cases emerge."
2. Foreign Governments Spent More Than $750k at Former Trump Hotel
NPR reports documents released by the House Oversight and Reform Committee show officials from six different countries collectively spent more than $750,000 at the former Trump International Hotel in D.C. during former President Donald Trump's tenure. Those countries are Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and the People's Republic of China.
"These documents sharply call into question the extent to which President Trump was guided by his personal financial interest while in office rather than the best interests of the American people," committee chairwoman Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat from New York, said. "These documents, which the Committee continues to obtain from Mazars, will inform our legislative efforts to ensure that future presidents do not abuse their position of power for personal gain."
A statement from Eric Trump to various news outlets claimed the Trump Organization "went to tremendous lengths to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, not due to any legal requirement, but because of the respect we have towards the office of the presidency. We walked away from billions of dollars in new deals, ceased all international expansion, engaged with an outside ethics advisor to review any material transactions and furthermore, have voluntarily donated all profits from foreign government patronage at our properties back to the United States Treasury on an annual basis."
3. Hoteliers Expect Midscale Renaissance in Europe
While midscale brands might not be the first thing that pop into travelers' minds when they think of European travel, hoteliers across the continent believe the segment is poised to shine in the current environment, HNN's Terence Baker reports from Alvarez & Marsal’s European Hospitality Investment Conference.
Willemijn Geels, vice president of development for Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said 35% of the hotels she has signed in her region have been in the midscale segment.
“There is big demand for midscale with families, such as for Holiday Inn, Voco and extended stay. These brands are very resilient, and they have proven again that it is an interesting model both from operational and investment viewpoints,” she said.
4. After Several Delays, NASA Moon Launch Back On
While technical issues and hurricanes have kept it on the ground much longer than hoped, NASA's Artemis I Rocket seems ready to take off as soon as Wednesday morning, the New York Times reports. That is good news less than a week after the launch site was hit by Hurricane Nicole.
HNN's Bryan Wroten has previously reported that rocket launches are turning into big demand drivers for hoteliers in Florida, and the Artemis program, which is aiming to get humans back on the Moon's surface, is driving outsized interest to Florida's Space Coast.
5. Tech Firms Continue To Downsize Office Footprints
Public announcements by new CEO Elon Musk suggest Twitter is leading the way among tech giants in returning to offices, while other major firms continue to move in the opposite direction, cutting down on office spaces, particularly in city center locations, the Wall Street Journal reports.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/meta-lyft-salesforce-and-other-tech-firms-dump-office-space-as-they-downsize-11668477701?mod=hp_lead_pos13
"Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc., Lyft Inc., Salesforce.com Inc. and other tech companies are shedding millions of square feet of office space in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, New York, Austin, Texas, and elsewhere," the Journal reports. "Amazon.com Inc. stopped construction in July on new office buildings amid a hiring freeze and is now preparing to lay off thousands of workers."
The newspaper notes the tech industry has led the way among all business in terms of cutting back on office leases, and that is likely to continue with many tech companies announcing layoffs.