Regulatory and Legal Affairs

📦 President Donald Trump, on November 14, lifted tariffs on items like coffee, tea, and beef. Previously, tariffs introduced in April affected 74% of the $221 billion U.S. food imports, with rates up to 50% for countries like Brazil. This rollback aims to soothe the restaurant industry amid a 40% rise in food costs over four years. However, tariffs remain on products like tomatoes from Mexico, wheat, and dairy. The National Restaurant Association and others support this change.

🛫 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.

📈 Sonder Holdings will wind down its US operations immediately, seeking Chapter 7 liquidation due to financial struggles from integration challenges with Marriott. Marriott terminated their 2024 agreement to add over 9,000 Sonder units, affecting Marriott's projected 2025 net room growth, now adjusted to 4.5%. Sonder properties are no longer bookable through Marriott, and Marriott is prioritizing support for existing guests and addressing bookings made through other channels.

🏨 Jeremy Jones, Christie & Co, examines UK hotel inheritance tax impacts. When? From 6 April 2026. Where? UK. What? New inheritance tax rules will provide only 50% relief on asset values above £1 million. How? Hotel owners face reduced tax relief, influencing succession planning. In H1 2025, single-asset transactions surged to 85%, up from 18% in 2024. Independent hotels see robust demand despite cost pressures. Upcoming Autumn Budget on 26 November may further impact hotel profits.