Regulatory and Legal Affairs - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 23

1 min

UKHospitality urges staff to join #TaxedOut campaign ahead of Budget

📦 UKHospitality, ahead of the upcoming Budget, launched an online tool for hospitality staff to contact MPs as part of its #TaxedOut campaign. The campaign seeks government action on business rates, national insurance, and VAT. Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, emphasized the industry's employment impact, urging widespread use of the tool. Millions rely on this sector for their livelihoods, advocating for urgent support to address heavy taxation.

2 min

Business travel consortium says Gatwick…

✈️ Gatwick Airport's £2.2 billion second runway was confirmed by transport secretary Heidi Alexander. Focus Travel Partnership criticized this as "too little too late" for the £20 billion business travel sector, which supports 230,000 jobs. Despite an added 100,000 flights annually, UK flights could reach 3 million by 2030 from 1.9 million in 2023, pressuring NATS. Focus Travel's £1.3 billion annual business travel calls for more aggressive post-Brexit transport policies.

Sabre challenges airline direct-booking promises

📈 Sep 19, 2025, Sabre Corporation challenges airlines over direct bookings for corporate travel. Sabre's analysis reveals aggregator platforms offer equal or lower fares in over 90% of searches, disputing airlines’ lowest-fare claims. Direct NDC connections limit program optimization and complicate servicing due to system fragmentation. Airlines throttle results during high demand, complicating scalability. The industry faces a divide as airlines push direct channels while Sabre supports aggregation for cost efficiency and service quality.

2 min

BoE holds interest rates at 4%

💸 The Bank of England (BoE), this week, decided to maintain interest rates at 4% due to inflation concerns. The Monetary Policy Committee voted 7–2 to keep the rate steady, with two members favoring a reduction to 3.75%. The committee also voted 7–2 to decrease UK government bond purchases by £70 billion over 12 months, reducing the total to £488 billion. CPI inflation was 3.8% in August, expected to rise slightly in September, with a target of 2%.

US inbound tourism continues to decline

🛫 Sep 18, 2025, U.S.: International visits to the U.S. dropped again in August, declining by 2.9% year over year, reaching only 86% of 2019 levels. Visits from India saw the steepest decline at 14.8%. Mixed performance was noted among top markets: UK (+4.7%), Japan (+10.5%), but Germany (-9.4%), China (-8.3%) decreased. Canadian travel fell 34% by car, marking the eighth consecutive monthly drop. A new $250 "visa integrity fee" effective October 1 may further impact visitors.

2 min

Study: H-2B Visa Program Supports U.S. Labor Force

🏨 WASHINGTON, DC—An analysis by Edgewater Economics highlights the H-2B Visa Program's positive effects on U.S. jobs and wages. Each H-2B worker supports 3-5 U.S. jobs, with wages in these areas growing 1.6% higher. The hotel industry remains 200,000 workers short compared to pre-pandemic levels, relying on the program for seasonal needs. Landscaping uses 40% of H-2B workers, while hotels, forestry, and seafood industries follow with 8.67%, 6.3%, and 5.65% respectively.

2 min

Hospitality job losses to hit 111,000 by next budget, UKH finds

🛑 26 November: UKHospitality (UKH) projects 111,000 hospitality job losses by the upcoming budget. Recent Office for National Statistics data show 84,000 jobs lost in the sector, accounting for 4% of all hospitality positions and 55% of UK job losses. The lowering of the employer NICs threshold hit 774,000 part-time and flexible jobs. UKH urges the government to address business rates, NICs, and VAT to mitigate further damage.

Tiktok avoids US ban after last-minute deal

📱 Sep 16, 2025: A framework deal between the U.S. and China keeps TikTok online, securing access for 170 million American users. The deal, reached just before a September 17 deadline, prevents a U.S. shutdown of the app. TikTok is crucial for travel brands, with 69% of users discovering travel brands on the platform. The app’s partnership with Booking.com, enabling in-app hotel bookings, remains. Previously, TikTok faced a 14-hour outage due to potential bans.

2 min

Study Sheds Light on EU-US Labour Productivity Gap

📊 European Employers’ Institute, September 2025: Labor productivity in the EU has grown by just 1% annually over 25 years, while the US saw 1.8% growth. In 2024, EU productivity was 20% below US levels. Key factors: low ICT investment, market fragmentation, business dynamism, skills mismatch, and regulatory burdens. Since 2019, EU productivity growth slowed to 0.6% compared to 1.9% in the US, especially in ICT and business services. This accentuates the need for digital investments and regulatory reform.

2 min

Congress introduces bipartisan American Franchise Act to end joint employer complications

📑 Bipartisan members of Congress introduced the American Franchise Act to the U.S. House. The act aims to redefine "joint employer" to absolve franchisors from franchisee labor law liabilities unless they share control over employment terms. This follows a decade of fluctuating standards. Notable changes include the 2015 Browning-Ferris decision and 2020's revised rule. In March 2024, a federal judge blocked an expanded rule. Supported by industry groups, the act seeks stable regulations to boost entrepreneurship.

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