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1. US Jobless Claims Rise
The latest U.S. Labor Department Data shows initial jobless claims rose by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 225,00 last week, the Wall Street Journal reports. Though claims are up from lows in the spring, the levels suggest many employers are retaining their workers.
"Employers added 263,000 jobs in November, holding near the strong gains of the previous three months, when they averaged 282,000 jobs a month, the Labor Department said earlier this month," the news outlet reports.
2. Southwest Airlines Promises To Reimburse Customers
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said in an interview on ABC's Good Morning America that passengers will be reimbursed for travel-related costs following massive flight cancellations and delays, CNN reports.
"We're offering refunds, covering expenses — we'll be going back out with even more after that," he said. "Beyond safety, there is no greater focus at this point than taking care of our customers, reuniting them with their bags, getting refunds processed."
Refunds are said to cover "rental cars, hotel rooms, meals, booking customers on other airlines," CNN reports.
Since Dec. 22, nearly 15,800 Southwest flights have been canceled, the news outlet reports. Jordan said the airline would be returning to a full schedule of roughly 3,900 flights Friday. However, flight tracking site FlightAware shows Southwest has already canceled 40 flights this morning.
3. International Tourism Returns
International travel grew significantly in 2022 compared to the previous year, predominately thanks to European countries, reports Hotel News Now's Trevor Simpson.
However, an area of concern for the U.S. hotel industry is the lack of international travel from Asian countries.
Lynette Eastman, general manager of the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, said Japan accounted for 3% of all bookings at the property in 2022. In 2019, however, it was 17%. Similarly, the Oceania region represented 5% of all bookings this year while it represented 20% of bookings in 2019.
“We’ve got a ways to go,” she said. “That’s not where we want to be. We like more of a diversified market. But if we’re looking at pie charts from 2019 through 2022, it’s very optimistic,” she said.
4. Macau Empty of Tourists
Though Macau dropped requirements on Dec. 22 for international passengers, including those arriving from Hong Kong and Taiwan, to present a negative nucleic acid test, no significant increase in visitor volume has been felt in the city, Reuters reports.
"Since reopening, Macau has grappled with a widespread COVID-19 wave, impacting the number of workers across the city," the news outlet reports.
Industry executives doubt there will be much change in volume until Jan. 21, 2023, when the Lunar New Year holiday begins.
5. Fire at Cambodian Hotel Casino Kills 27 People
A total of 27 people have been killed and more than 20 are still missing after a massive fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday at the Grand Diamond City hotel-casino in Poipet, a town on the Cambodia-Thailand border, Reuters reports.
About 400 employees and patrons were inside the hotel-casino at the time of the fire. Officials are unclear on what started the fire but suspect an electrical short circuit.
"Dozens of rescue workers lined up outside the site on Friday, taking turns to go through the building room by room, while heavy machinery was used to clear blackened debris," the news outlet reports.