Latest Hospitality and leisure industry News
For some, the pope's big Holy Year only aggravates housing crisis as overtourism pushes out Romans
When Pope Francis left the Vatican earlier this month for his traditional Christmastime outing downtown, he acknowledged what many Romans have been complaining about for months: That his big plans for a Holy Year had turned their city into a giant construction pit, with traffic-clogging roadworks...
Number of dead and missing still unclear as first aid arrives in quake-hit Pacific nation of Vanuatu
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Amid the havoc wrought by a violent earthquake two days earlier, Ivan Oswald and his staff prepared for lunchtime service Thursday at Nambawan Cafe, on an idyllic stretch of Vanuatu’s waterfront. The menu for the usual lunchtime rush was replaced...
Macao's casino boom brings wealth but at a cost, 25 years since China's takeover
MACAO (AP) — When Portugal returned its colony Macao to China in 1999, coffee shop owner Daniel Chao was a first grader living in a different world. Since then his sleepy hometown has transformed into a bustling gaming hub lined with glittering casinos. Its once quiet streets are...
Grubhub to pay $25M in deceptive practices settlement with Illinois attorney general and the FTC
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Grubhub Inc., an online food ordering and delivery platform, will pay $25 million to settle a dispute over alleged deceptive business practices with the Illinois attorney general and the Federal Trade Commission, officials said Tuesday. Attorney General...
Event promoters, hotels and lodging sites soon will have to disclose extra fees up front
The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday said it will soon require hotels, vacation rental platforms and live event promoters to disclose any fees up front when they list prices. The FTC said consumers often see advertised prices for hotel rooms, short-term rentals, and tickets to...
7 foreign tourists hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Seven foreign tourists were hospitalized in Fiji after drinking cocktails at a resort bar, Fijian authorities said on Monday. The cause of their illness was not known and officials said it was too soon to know if tainted alcohol was involved. ...
A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — The largest seafood distributor on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and two of its managers have been sentenced on federal charges of mislabeling inexpensive imported seafood as local premium fish, weeks after a restaurant and its co-owner were also sentenced. ...
Holiday Gift Guide: Handcrafted items from North Carolina support hurricane recovery
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The town of Asheville, known for its artists and restaurants, is a tourist destination and the economic hub of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountain communities. In September, it was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene. Even businesses not...
As tourists discover Finland's Santa Claus Village, some locals call for rules to control the masses
ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP) — Shuffling across icy ground on a cold December afternoon, lots of tourist groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. They frolic in the snow, take a reindeer sleigh ride, sip a cocktail...
Truck drivers in Mexico block major highways to protest the government's failure to pay bills
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Truck drivers blocked some major highways in central Mexico on Tuesday to protest that the government hasn’t paid them for work they did on a tourist train line. The protest by truckers blocked two major highways leading north out of Mexico City for a few...
