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1. Concerns mount about Las Vegas slump
With a streak of seven consecutive months of visitor declines, MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle told CNBC that concerns the tourism-driven market's slump could be a sign of a more widespread travel slowdown are overblown, and he doesn't think Las Vegas is "done or dead."
The takeaway at the moment should be more about the importance of "value and value creation" for traveling consumers, Hornbuckle said.
“There is value there, and there’s always been value,” Hornbuckle said. “We let the narrative get away from us and shame on us. We need to do a better job.”
2. US hiring continues to slow
U.S. jobs growth fell well below economists' expectations in August as the U.S. added just 22,000 positions for the month, The Wall Street Journal reports. June data was also revised down to a net loss of 13,000 jobs for that month.
The Journal's poll of economists projected a gain of 75,000 jobs in August. The unemployment rate ticket up from 4.2% in July to 4.3% in August.
Private-sector jobs grew by 38,000 with federal government jobs down 15,000.
3. AI strategy shifts for hoteliers
Being hygienic is important in all aspects of life, but it's becoming increasingly vital in how hoteliers treat their data due to the rise of artificial intelligence, CoStar News' Natalie Harms reports.
Speaking at the 2025 Hotel Data Conference, Kurien Jacob, partner at Highgate Technology Ventures, said "data hygiene" is vital for making sure AI is truly helpful.
"If you don't have the right data, you're not going to have the right output. Garbage in, garbage out," he said.
Jacob also noted that the way hotels present information online will need to change in response to consumers' increasing use of generative AI tools.
"Hotels need to focus a lot on their core websites [and] booking process," Jacob said. "They have to actually get in and start understanding this MCP, which is a new model context protocol. It's like an adapter [that] helps these large language models read content from websites. Hotels have to think differently."
4. IKEA-linked ownership group plans to sell a UK Marriott portfolio
European real estate investment firm Vastint has listed a portfolio of U.K. Marriott International-branded hotels for sale, CoStar News' Terence Baker reports.
Vastint is part of the Interogo holding group, a foundation-owned investment group, which is linked to Swedish retailer IKEA.
The sale plans are the result of a recent strategic review for the company and includes properties with AC by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott and Moxy brands.
5. Visa changes add to US international demand headwinds
Euronews reports recently increased visa fees represent yet another challenge for depressed international travel to the U.S. at a point the broader travel industry is already struggling.
"With a one-week mid-range U.S. trip costing almost $2,000 (€1,722.10), according to money transfer comparison website Exiap, this added visa cost could make U.S. travel significantly more expensive for families and group travelers, in particular, the news outlet reports.