Latest Hospitality and leisure industry News
Retail sales surge 0.7% in March as Americans seem unfazed by higher prices with jobs plentiful
NEW YORK (AP) — Americans boosted spending at a hotter-than-expected pace in March, underscoring how shoppers remain resilient despite inflationary pressures and other economic challenges. Retail sales rose 0.7% last month — almost double what economists had forecast — after...
Opponents of smoking in casinos try to enlist shareholders of gambling companies in non-smoking push
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Add investors to the list of people that opponents of smoking in casinos are enlisting in hopes of banning the practice. A national non-smoking group and a Michigan health system have placed shareholder proposals on the agenda of annual meetings for two...
Last call for dry towns? New York weighs lifting post-Prohibition law that let towns keep booze bans
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York towns and villages that have post-Prohibition bans on alcohol sales would be forced to lift such restrictions under a bill moving through the Legislature. The bill, which is up for a state Senate vote after advancing out of a committee last week, would...
Atlantic City casinos were less profitable in 2023, even with online help
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Atlantic City's casinos were less profitable in 2023 than they were a year earlier, even with help from the state's booming online gambling market. Figures released Monday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the nine casinos collectively...
ASEAN finance leaders end meetings in Laos, pointing to challenges from geopolitics, volatile prices
LUANG PRABANG, Laos (AP) — Southeast Asian economies are gaining ground as tourism and exports recover from the shocks of the pandemic, but geopolitical tensions and volatile commodity prices still pose serious risks, regional financial leaders said Friday. Laos’ Finance Minister...
McDonald's buys its Israeli restaurants from franchisee who sparked costly boycotts
McDonald’s is buying its restaurants in Israel from a longtime franchisee, hoping to reset sales that have slumped due to boycotts in the region. The Chicago-based burger giant said Friday it will buy Alonyal Limited, which owns and operates 225 restaurants in Israel. Financial...
When Trump needs cash, a California bank and one of its top shareholders have come to the rescue
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump left the White House facing a cash crunch and a tattered reputation after his attempts to overturn the 2020 election, threatening the viability of his business empire. Soon, though, a new source stepped forward to provide a financial lifeline when many longtime...
Venice day-trippers will face steep fines if they fail to pay an access fee under a pilot program
MILAN (AP) — Day-trippers to the fabled canal city of Venice who fail to pay 5 euros ($5.43) to enter the lagoon city’s historic center during a time-limited pilot program launching later this month will face fines starting at 10 times the entrance fee, officials said Thursday. ...
Shhh, I’m on vacation. Travelers are on a quest for the quiet
At home in the New York City suburbs, Oscar Sandoval has lots of friends and an active social life. But when it’s time for vacation, he prefers to keep it quiet. Like, literally. Sandoval began practicing Zen Buddhism a few years back, and has been on silent retreats to Buddhist...
Hotels where baseball fans can score cool perks, save some money
With baseball season in full swing, it’s time for fans to make their game-day plans. For those traveling to the game, that can require finding a hotel to serve as a home base. After all, sports and travel go together like peanuts and Cracker Jack. According to an American Express...
