Regulatory and Legal Affairs

📈 Frédéric Carré, Director of European Operations, leads The Ascott Limited's CSR strategy across 30 countries. By 2030, Ascott aims to meet the CapitaLand and Ascott Sustainability Masterplan's targets. In Europe, their portfolio is GSTC Standards certified, aligning with the EU Green Deal and UN Goals. Local regulations, like France's Tertiary Decree, are tailored into this framework. Their approach integrates building, operation, and team efforts for sustainable management.

📈 The UK hospitality sector saw mixed results in Q1 2026. Regional hotels outperformed London, driven by event demand, with Glasgow and Cardiff's RevPAR up 14% and 10%. London faced over-supply, with RevPAR down 2.5% and occupancy flat at 66.7%. National GOP margins dropped from 23.4% to 22.3%, while London's fell from 26.3% to 24.2%. Wage and rates hikes could lead to 2,076 closures, including 574 hotels. PPHE's revenue rose 8% to £83.8m, securing a £136m loan.

🌎 On 27 September 2026, the EU's Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EU) 2024/825 will take effect, transforming sustainability claims across Europe. Claims must be clear, evidence-based, and verifiable. The report by the European Travel Commission, GDS-Movement, and NECSTouR emphasizes accountability and offers practical guidance. This shift encourages destinations to enhance trust and resilience by aligning marketing, operations, and data, and addresses risks like greenwashing. Investing in evidence improves credibility and competitive advantage.

📈 Consumer card spending declined by 0.1% year-on-year in April, marking the first drop since November 2024 (-0.5%). This was below the CPIH inflation rate of 3.4%. Non-essential spending fell by 0.3%, contrasting a 1.1% rise in March, while essential spending increased by 0.3%, driven by a 10.4% surge in fuel costs, the highest since December 2022. Global economic confidence plummeted to 20%, the lowest since April 2025.

💻 In 2025, TikTok introduced GO, an in-app travel booking feature, in the U.S., partnering with Booking.com, Expedia, Viator, GetYourGuide, Tiqets, and Trip.com. Available to users 18+, it simplifies booking through the app. In August 2025, Booking.com tested hotel sales on TikTok with 10% of U.S. users. A European launch faces challenges due to the Digital Markets Act, with TikTok designated as a "gatekeeper" since September 2023.

📈 Palisis and Prioticket, European ticketing solution providers, merged under Experience Technology Group on May 12, 2026. The group links over 50,000 experiences and 250 reseller partners via API, integrating over 60 reservation systems. In 2025, experiences made up 46% of travelers’ budgets, projected to be the largest spending category by 2027. Key personnel include Marc Wieland (executive chairman), Josef Birchler (Palisis lead), and Gert-Jan Ruiter (Prioticket CEO).

💸 May 15, 2026, a glitch on Booking.com in Greece caused major disruptions for hotels due to incorrect environmental tax charges. The Climate Crisis Resilience Fee dropped from €8 to €2 per night, risking revenue loss and guest disputes. Manual corrections failed, forcing hotels to call Booking.com support, resulting in long wait times. This incident underscored OTA dependency and the need for regular audits of OTA configurations to maintain regulatory compliance and operational stability.

🛑 In the UK, a proposed holiday tax could raise the cost of a two-week family holiday by £100, amid a cost-of-living crisis. Announced in the King's Speech on May 13, the policy reverses previous government statements. UKHospitality and HOSPA warn it could lead to a £1.6bn tax increase, cost 33,000 jobs, and reduce GDP by £2.2bn. A public poll shows 56% oppose the tax. Concerns include tourism spending cuts and complexities in tax implementation.