Regulatory and Legal Affairs - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 25

Cabin baggage: towards a necessary harmonisation of rules in Europe?

🛂 Airlines in Europe, such as Ryanair, easyJet, Volotea, Vueling, and Transavia, have varying cabin baggage policies, leading to charges up to €50. The European Parliament's 2023 resolution and the French DGAC support standard cabin baggage as a transport right but allow airlines to define 'standard'. In contrast, US airlines adopt a common policy allowing 56 x 35 x 23 cm baggage. Calls for European harmonization aim to ensure transparency and consistency.

2 min

Washington, D.C. city council votes to permanently reinstate tip credit

💰 Washington, D.C. City Council voted on July 28 to reinstate the tip credit, initially set to phase out by 2027 under Initiative 82. Employers must pay tipped workers a base wage of $10 per hour, with a $7.95 tip credit. The council's decision, passed 7-5, now awaits Mayor Muriel Bowser's approval. If signed, D.C. will be the first to reinstate the system. The tip credit will be capped at 25% of the minimum wage by 2034.

3 min

Two thirds of UK families with…

✈️ 64% of UK families with accessibility needs may not travel abroad this summer. 42% avoided international travel last year due to accessibility issues in airports, airlines, and hotels. This results in a £45 billion loss to the global travel economy. 67% face booking challenges, while 52% find accessible accommodations costly and transport unreliable. 56% say airlines lack support for disabled passengers. 48% wait over 30 minutes for assistance upon landing. Action is needed for inclusive travel.

1 min

CADO and 4AIR harmonise SAF registries

✈️ The Civil Aviation Decarbonization Organization (CADO) and 4AIR have partnered to enhance Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) registry interoperability, improving data integrity and reducing double issuance risks. Key figures like Kennedy Ricci of 4AIR and Michael Schneider of CADO emphasize the importance of unified efforts in commercial and business aviation. This partnership aims to boost SAF demand, transparency, and cost efficiency. A similar agreement with 123Carbon was also announced.

1 min

GSE Property Group secures £6m loan for Hythe Imperial Hotel

🏨 GSE Property Group has secured a £6 million loan from Hilco Real Estate Finance. The loan is secured against the 92-bedroom Hythe Imperial Hotel and Spa, located in Kent.

2 min

A definitive blow threatens more than a million seasonal rentals in Spain

🏠 In January 2025, Spain passed Real Decreto 13212/2024, requiring short-term rental landlords to register for a unique identification number (NRUA) by July 1. As of July 15, 87% of listings lack this number, risking removal. Non-compliance fines can reach €500,000. Localities like Malaga and Barcelona have imposed stricter measures, including moratoriums on new licenses and potential rent caps. Platforms must comply or adjust listings within 48 hours. Co-ownership associations now require 60% consent for rentals.

Wyndham runs into RevPAR wall but development is humming

📈 Q2 2025 saw Wyndham Hotels & Resorts experience a 3% global RevPAR decline YoY, with a 4% drop in the U.S. Despite challenges like interest rates and inflation, EMEA RevPAR rose 7%, and Latin America and the Caribbean saw an 18% increase. Wyndham expanded its room count by 4% YoY and pipeline by 5%, marking 20 consecutive quarters of growth. International net rooms grew 8%, with significant expansion in EMEA and South Asia.

1 min

Showerings – A Triple Vintage Cider

🍷 Showerings, a fine cider from Somerset, crafted with Dabinett apples from a single orchard, offers a blend of three vintages. Available online, it's priced at £45 for 12 x 375ml bottles and £30 for 6 x 375ml bottles. Enjoy it chilled in a stemmed wine glass, available at retailers like Jeroboams and Amathus Drinks, and served at top UK restaurants like Core by Clare Smyth and NOBU. Perfect as an aperitif, it's a refined alternative to wine.

2 min

Travel and Tourism Sector Raises Concern Over Proposed ETIAS Fee Increase

🗺️ HOTREC and European tourism bodies oppose the EU's proposed ETIAS fee hike from €7 to €20, effective late 2026. They critique the increase's lack of proportionality and call for an impact assessment and alternative pricing models (€10 or €12). Marie Audren of HOTREC urges rejection of the proposal, advocating for reinvestment of surplus revenue into the tourism sector. The coalition highlights tourism's economic importance and seeks balanced measures to maintain Europe's appeal.

AI search summaries slash traffic to news sites

📰 Jul 24, 2025, UK publishers report Google’s AI Overviews reduce news site clickthroughs by up to 80%, threatening independent journalism. Authoritas found sites ranked first could lose 79% of traffic. MailOnline experiences over 50% declines. UK’s Competition and Markets Authority receives a complaint against Google for unfair content use. Google disputes these findings, claiming unchanged web traffic. Critics say AI Overviews retain users in Google’s ecosystem, endangering quality journalism. [Read more](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/24/ai-summaries-causing-devastating-drop-in-online-news-audiences-study-finds).

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