Regulatory and Legal Affairs

🍴 Florida lawmakers proposed a bill amendment to ban automatic restaurant gratuities for parties of five or fewer and allow service charge refusal for poor service. The original bill, HB 535, already passed multiple state committees. State Rep. Demi Busatta (R-Cape Coral) proposed the amendment after experiencing preset gratuities in Miami. The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association opposes the amendment, citing service charges as vital for success. If the amendment passes, it would take effect on July 1. Former President Joe Biden launched a strike force to eliminate nearly $20 billion in junk fees, while California and Illinois considered similar legislation, but California exempted restaurants.

✈️ The Climate Change Committee reports UK aviation will miss the 2030 sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target, reaching only 6% instead of 10%. SAF usage is expected to rise to 17% by 2040 and 38% by 2050. Aviation was 8% of UK CO2 emissions in 2023, down 10% from 2019. Non-CO2 warming effects of aviation have tripled since 1990. Leisure travel accounted for 86% of flights in 2023, up from 78% in 2010. The sector could reach Net Zero by 2050 with SAF, efficiencies, electrification, demand management, and CO2 removal. Decarbonization costs may reflect in higher ticket prices, with measures like increased air passenger duty and a frequent flier levy.

🏨 Radisson Hotel Group to open 7 new hotels in Italy by 2025, adding over 1,000 rooms and expanding from 3 to 20 Italian properties in six years, aiming for 30 by 2027. New hotels include Radisson Collection in Como, art’otel Rome with 110 rooms, and Radisson Blu Hotels in Rome, Bergamo, Florence, and Radisson RED Naples, plus Radisson Hotel Pisa. This growth supports Italy's prominence in luxury lifestyle hotels and business travel.

🏠 Mabrian launched a tool to monitor and regulate short-term rentals (STRs), providing data for tourism and urban planning authorities. Ibiza implemented this tool in May 2024 to automate unregulated tourist rental detection. The tool has filters for non-compliance and classifies properties into 53 categories. It will integrate with the national registry of STR licenses in July. The tool aims to promote regulated STRs, enhance traceability, and improve guest satisfaction.