Regulatory and Legal Affairs

🚩 Nearly half (46%) of survey respondents from five countries are less inclined to travel to the U.S. due to Trump’s presidency. International visits to the U.S. saw an 11.6% decline in March 2025 from the previous year, with Western European travel dropping 17.2% and German tourism by 28.2%. The main deterrent is the political climate (63%), followed by safety and trade policy concerns. Travel advisories in Germany and Canada highlight risks of detentions and device searches. Despite this, Trump claims the U.S. remains the tourism capital and suggests a weaker dollar could attract visitors.

✈ Expedia Group now offers Ryanair flights in the US and Europe, following a partnership announced in mid-last year. The integration, which includes over 230 Ryanair destinations, allows Expedia customers to book holiday packages or standalone flights. Additionally, Expedia Group travellers can access myRyanair accounts and flight updates. This collaboration comes after Ryanair's partnerships with Trip.com, On The Beach, and TUI, aiming to provide customers with full price transparency and a vast network of low-fare options.

🧪 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a phase-out of synthetic food dyes under Trump's administration. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary will provide details on Tuesday. Before 2025, FDA approved dyes like Blue 1, Blue 2, and Red 40. In January, the FDA decided to ban Red No. 3 by 2027. California and West Virginia passed laws restricting synthetic dyes. Kennedy met with food manufacturers without pushback on removing dyes. A 2021 study linked synthetic dyes to ADHD in children.

📈 European sectoral employers support the establishment of an EU Talent Pool to match employers with third country national jobseekers, addressing skills and labour shortages and demographic challenges. They welcome the Council's general approach (10602/24) and the European Parliament's position (2023/0404(COD)) on the proposed Regulation. Priorities include a voluntary tool for all skill levels, participation of social partners in the steering committee, potential for accelerated immigration procedures, and awareness campaigns. A call is made for a rapid compromise agreement and commitment to support implementation. (Date: Wednesday, 16 April 2025)

📦 In Los Angeles, the tourism industry, one of the top five employers supporting over 540,000 jobs, generated $40 billion in local business sales and $290 million in transient occupancy tax (TOT) revenue in 2023. Despite this, L.A. faced a $14.3 million TOT budget shortfall in FY 2023-2024 and a $13.9 million shortfall by midyear FY24-25. The industry has only reached 79% of 2019 levels, lagging behind other major U.S. cities. Upcoming hotel operational restrictions could worsen TOT shortfalls, threaten small business owners, and risk thousands of job losses ahead of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics. Proposed legislation like the Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance may lead to the loss of nearly 15,000 hotel jobs, $169 million in tax revenue, and discourage $342 million in hotel construction spending.

💸 WASHINGTON, D.C. – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO Rosanna Maietta applauded Congress for passing a budget resolution. The resolution prevents a tax increase on American workers and supports small businesses in the hotel and lodging industry, vital as they recover from COVID-19 impacts. AHLA looks forward to further collaboration with lawmakers to benefit hotel operators and employees.

🏨 In 2025, a comprehensive guide titled "Hotel Tax Explained" provides essential information on hotel taxes, including various types, rates, and rules worldwide. It serves as a vital resource for travelers and hoteliers to manage tax compliance effectively. The content was authored by Vanshikha Dhar and published on Hotelogix Blog, known for offering tips and trends in the hospitality industry.