Regulatory and Legal Affairs

📌 Associations across airline, hospitality, and retail sectors are observing Alphabet's adjustments to Google Search for DMA compliance, which should not redirect to OSSs or diminish direct suppliers' organic visibility. Google's late stakeholder communication in 2023 left many unaware of the impending changes. Airlines for Europe (A4E) carried over 610 million passengers in 2022, with a fleet of 3,300 aircraft serving nearly 2,000 destinations. Ecommerce Europe acts for European online merchants. The European Hotel Forum represents over 6,000 European hoteliers. EuroCommerce speaks for 5 million companies in retail/wholesale, employing 26 million Europeans. HOTREC, the voice of European hospitality, represents 2 million businesses providing 10 million jobs. Independent Retail Europe covers 23 groups with 462,000 retailers, 737,000 outlets, and a retail turnover exceeding €1,385 billion, supporting 6.4 million jobs. Monitoring of Google's changes is expected to start on 6 March 2024.

📝 On 26 June 2024, HOTREC published a position paper stating their priorities on the European Commission’s proposed Directive on Traineeships and Council Recommendation on a reinforced Quality Framework for Traineeships (QFT). HOTREC calls for clearer rules, particularly for SMEs, arguing against unnecessary legislation in countries where trainee protections already exist through labor laws. They suggest that a revision of the existing QFT is preferable to a new Directive. HOTREC emphasizes the need to avoid creating a new category of worker, to reduce red tape, to respect definitions and collective bargaining agreements, and to consider remuneration flexibility.

🏖 On 18 July 2024, over 70 European tourism sector organisations launched the European Tourism Manifesto. HOTREC, actively involved in drafting, highlighted priorities for the legislative term: decarbonisation, smart EU funding, resilient connectivity, freedom of movement, and skills training. The Tourism Manifesto Alliance urges the EU for a Tourism Commissioner, a Tourism Taskforce in Parliament, and annual Ministerial Council meetings.

📢 HOTREC, the European hospitality industry association, held its 88th General Assembly in Budapest on Thursday, 25 April 2024. Discussions focused on labour and skills shortages, digital rules, and adapting to political and climate changes. Prior to the European elections and Hungarian EU presidency, industry leaders set policy priorities for the next five years, including enhancing tourism, talent support, fair digital rules, sustainability, and consumer preference adaptation. Next assembly: Autumn 2024, Warsaw, Poland. Turkish TUGEV joined HOTREC. Contact: Jasper Dober, HOTREC Media & Communications Manager.

💼 HOTREC, the European hospitality sector's umbrella association, is seeking an intern starting 2 September 2024 for a 6-month full-time position in Brussels. The intern will assist with EU policy advocacy, project management, and communication activities. They require a university degree, EU policy familiarity, a proactive attitude, and excellent English proficiency; additional European languages are beneficial. Applications are due by 12 June 2024 to [email protected], with "Internship" in the subject line. HOTREC represents 47 national associations from 36 countries.

🌏 On 3 February 2025, EU launches the first public consultation on draft Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for hotel accommodation, developed by a group representing over 51% of the EU hotel market, co-chaired by HOTREC. Stakeholders can review and provide feedback until 2 March 2025. Instructions and access to the draft are available online, aiming to improve environmental performance in the sector.

📓 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.

📌 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.