Regulatory and Legal Affairs

📓 HOTREC offers a 5-month full-time internship from March to July 2025 in Brussels, pursuing EU advocacy for the hospitality sector. Applications, including CV and motivation letter, should be sent to Mr. Vipin Mehra by 22 January 2025. The role includes monitoring legislation, assisting in advocacy, event support, reporting, and managing EU-funded projects. Requires a university degree, EU politics familiarity, language skills, and proactive attitude. Internship provided under Belgian Convention Immersion Professionnelle with allowance.

🍺 United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory last week concerning alcohol and cancer risk, stating alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S. after tobacco and obesity. The advisory seeks to raise awareness, suggesting updates to health warning labels on alcoholic beverages to explicitly mention cancer risks, and reassessing consumption guidelines. Currently, alcoholic beverages account for about 21% of sales at full-service restaurants, and 6% at limited-service venues. With less than 50% of Americans aware of alcohol's cancer risk, and the fact that one-third of consumers ages 18 to 24 abstain from alcohol, the recommendation could impact the industry significantly. The original warning label, added in 1988, may need Congressional approval for changes. Stocks of alcohol companies dropped following the advisory.

📍 The UK's electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme will expand to 48 countries from January 8, 2025, and to 34 European countries from April 2, 2025. In 2024, over 38 million people visited the UK, with most not requiring visas. Since its November 2023 launch for Qatari nationals, the scheme has seen 393,000 ETA applications by June 2024. ETAs, valid for two years or until the passport expires, will cost £10 and are required for short-term visitors, including those from the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. Travelers from countries like France, Germany, and Italy can apply from March 5. Fragomen advises applying for an ETA at least three days before travel.

📌 California sued by business organizations over Senate Bill 399, signed 3 months prior by Gov. Gavin Newsom, banning retaliation against employees who skip mandatory meetings on religious/political matters. The California Chamber of Commerce and California Restaurant Association argue the law infringes on First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The National Labor Relations Board, in November, ruled such meetings violate labor law, overturning the 1948 Babcock & Wilson Co. precedent. Proponents argue SB 399 prevents intimidation during unionization. Labor advocates fear President Trump's administration may reverse labor protections.

🔔 Hotels struggle with guest recognition due to GDPR fears, leading to underpersonalization. GDPR, while ensuring data handling, has led hotels to erase guest details to avoid fines, causing a lack of personalization during stays. Multiple databases in hotels don't interact, potentially disregarding loyalty member benefits. Guests can encourage personalization through loyalty programs, opting in for communication, and providing explicit consent for data storage. GDPR doesn't ban personalization but requires permission and secure data handling. Personalization can lead to smoother stays, customized offers, and increased loyalty. Guests can improve personalization by using hotel apps and providing feedback. Responsible data handling can enhance guest experiences without violating GDPR.