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1. Trump announces delay of EU tariffs
President Donald Trump will delay the implementation of a 50% tariff on goods from the European Union from June 1 until July 9, the Associated Press reports. The decision was made following a call between Trump and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, on Sunday.
“Europe is ready to advance talks swiftly and decisively,” she said. “To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9.”
On Friday, Trump posted on social media accusing the EU of being “very difficult to deal with.”
2. European airlines pull back on flights to US
European airlines are responding to current travel trends, pulling back on flights to popular U.S. destinations — such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago — and instead increasing flights to Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean, according to Travel and Tour World.
"Carriers including Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Iberia and SAS have adjusted their summer schedules to reflect shifting traveler priorities, with more passengers opting for destinations that offer smoother entry, better seasonal deals, and fewer political complications," according to the article. "The changes mark a clear retreat from the U.S. at a time when international sentiment is cooling and alternative routes are proving far more profitable."
The article, which rounds up route changes for various airlines, also points to data from Tourism Economics, which is projecting booking declines of 10.8% and 13% for June and July, respectively.
3. US hotel industry stays steady amid dwindling consumer sentiment
Despite some of the news headlines forecasting challenges in the travel industry, the hosts of the Tell Me More: A Hospitality Data Podcast advised listeners to keep eyes on the data, which is telling a different story.
"We're all so focused on sentiment, that everything is going down, going south," said Isaac Collazo, STR's senior director of analytics. "But a year ago, revenue per available room year to date was only up 0.5% and right now it's up 1.6%."
Collazo and co-host Jan Freitag, CoStar's national director of hospitality analytics, also explained how important calendar shifts are to hotel performance. Last year's big events that boosted hotel performance — such as the solar eclipse, an earlier Easter weekend or shifts to spring break — have created tougher year-over-year comparisons for demand levels.
4. Choice Hotels expands in China with new deal
Choice Hotels International is expanding in China thanks to a distribution and franchise agreement with SSAW Hotels & Resorts Group, the hotel company announced Tuesday. Through the agreement, 68 upscale properties with 9,500 rooms that are currently managed by SSAW will be added to Choice’s Ascend Collection, the Washington Business Journal reports.
Choice previously had a presence in six destinations in China. Through the deal, SSAW has exclusive development rights to Choice’s Comfort Inn and Quality Inn brands across mainland China.
“This relationship allows us to scale quickly in a fast-growing market, with established, high-quality properties, and deliver even more value to travelers, including the 70 million members of our loyalty program, Choice Privileges,” Trent Fraser, CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pacific, said in a statement.
5. Travelers from countries with US tariffs avoid US
Booking site Trivago reported new data that shows travelers from countries targeted by new U.S. trade tariffs are avoiding visits to the U.S. The booking data also shows that U.K. and U.S. travelers are opting for trips closer to home amid concerns over an uncertain economy, The Guardian reports.
The U.S. has seen double-digit percentage declines in bookings from travelers from Japan, Canada and Mexico. Inbound travel from Germany is also "down heavily," according to the data from Expedia-owned Trivago. Per the report, Americans are spending less on their trips, growing demand for cheaper hotels.
Travel from the United Kingdom, the report found, has not yet been affected significantly. The U.K. has among the lightest tariffs thanks to a recent trade deal.