Regulatory and Legal Affairs

🏖 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.

🍴 Bret Thorn, Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999, reports on food and beverage trends and hosts "In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn" podcast. He wrote for The New York Sun from 2005-2008 and lived in Thailand, writing for Manager magazine and Asia Times from 1992-1997. A magna cum laude graduate from Tufts University, he studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and was in Beijing during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests as an ABC News runner. Thorn won a Jesse H. Neal Award in 2006, joined the Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014, and authored entries in the Oxford Encyclopedia (2012) and the Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015).

🍜 Justin Warner, at age 15, began his two-decade career in restaurants, now famed for his Food Network appearances, including winning 2012's Next Food Network Star. Warner opened Bokujō Ramen in Rapid City, South Dakota, incorporating local bison. In August, a U.S. federal appeals court overturned the Department of Labor's 2021 80/20 tip rule. Chef Brandon Rushing plans to open a new 9,000 sq ft Briny Swine outpost in Chicago's Lincoln Park this spring, featuring local seafood and Southern cuisine at a family-friendly price.