Regulatory and Legal Affairs

🛫 After 43 days of chaos, Congress passed a resolution to fund the U.S. government, saving $6 billion in lost travel spending. The shutdown jeopardized essential services and caused pain for travelers and federal workers. Essential federal workers like air traffic controllers and TSA officers must be paid during shutdowns. The U.S. Travel Association, representing the $1.3 trillion travel industry, urges investment in infrastructure and workforce for future stability.

📈 The American Hotel & Lodging Association, based in Washington, D.C., addressed the end of the U.S. federal government shutdown. Nearly 20% of Americans altered Thanksgiving travel plans due to the shutdown's economic uncertainty. AHLA urged Congress to reach a budget agreement to prevent future disruptions. The AHLA represents over 30,000 members, including 80% of franchised hotels and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. They focus on advocacy, communication, and workforce development.

🌏 UN Tourism, during its 26th General Assembly session in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (7-11 November 2025), announced 22 new Affiliate Members from 14 countries, comprising 2 Destination Management Organizations, 7 for-profit companies, 6 associations/NGOs, 3 universities, and 4 others. The geographical distribution includes 3 from the Americas, 4 from Asia and the Pacific, 9 from Europe, and 6 from the Middle East. UN Tourism now has over 500 members across 80 countries, promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism.

🛫 Dnata Travel Group has initiated a consultation to potentially close UK B2C brands, Travel Republic and Netflights, following an internal review. Other UK brands like Gold Medal and Travelbag are not impacted. The consultation's outcome remains uncertain, similar to the World Travel and Tourism Council situation. The decision awaits the completion of the consultation process. Travolution has reached out to Dnata for further comments.

🏠 Nov 13, 2025: In southern Gran Canaria, a five-year moratorium on tourist-apartment licences has been enacted, reshaping the holiday-rental market. Existing licences remain valid, but new ones are banned, affecting property values. Licensed properties may rise in value, while new or unlicensed units decline. Licence transfer restrictions add uncertainty. Local councils now control tourist accommodation planning. The law caps tourist housing at 10% of residential stock and aims to protect housing supply and curb over-tourism.

🌐 Saudi Arabia-based Adeera partners with Amadeus Digital Media to enhance travel technology through advanced omni-channel advertising. Adeera's Chief Commercial Officer, Thomas Grundner, highlights the integration of marketing, distribution, and data insights into a unified platform. Jan Tissera of Amadeus notes that recent campaigns achieved double-digit growth in direct bookings and occupancy. This collaboration aims to elevate hospitality in Saudi Arabia, supported by the Public Investment Fund.

💸 WASHINGTON, D.C.—Since October 1, the government shutdown has cost nearly $6 billion in travel spending. Over 5.2 million passengers were affected by flight disruptions. Daily, the hotel industry loses $31 million, totaling $1.2 billion so far. Leaders from AHLA, A4A, the U.S. Travel Association, and the National Restaurant Association urge Congress to end the shutdown. With 31 million passengers expected for Thanksgiving, airlines and restaurants are facing challenges, needing swift government action.

💸 Patrick M. D’Aoust was forced to leave his Montréal, Canada, Sonder rental with just 15 minutes' notice on his anniversary trip. This happened after Sonder, a short-term rental company, went bankrupt due to a collapsed partnership with Marriott. The deal allowed bookings at 9,000 Sonder properties in 40 cities. Scheduled to last 20 years, the agreement ended suddenly on Sunday, leading to widespread guest displacement. Marriott cited Sonder's financial difficulties as the reason.