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1. Canadians avoid US travel, products
Canadian residents are swearing off U.S. travel and products due to President Trump's threat to annex the country and his proposed 25% tariff on Canadian imports that's set to go into effect next week, the New York Times reports.
A survey from the Quebec Tourism Industry Alliance found that half of travelers who planned to visit the United States canceled their trips. Tourists to the U.S. from Quebec spend about $6 billion annually.
Grocery stores are putting up "made-in-Canada" signage to help consumers avoid U.S.-made products.
“Before I would just go for what suits my pocketbook the best, and now, I’m making a point,” said Bill Fukazawa, a Vancouver native. “If there’s a Canadian choice, I’m going to make a Canadian choice.”
2. US inflation eases in January
The personal consumption expenditures price index increased at an annual rate of 2.5% January, slightly down from the 2.9% seen in December, CNBC reports. On a month-to-month basis, the price index rose by 0.3% last month.
The PCE index is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure. This will likely keep the Fed at bay from making any further changes to interest rates in the short term, the news outlet reports.
3. Hotel companies join forces with cruise operators
More and more hotel companies are making deals to bring cruise operators into the fold as cruise markets outpace demand compared to the overall U.S. industry, HNN contributor Danny King reports.
Pete Sams, chief operating officer at Denver-based Peregrine Hospitality, said there's also been a large increase in demand at properties nearby cruises that give guests a place to stay either before or after.
“When you look at the waves of post-COVID recovery, there was initially hesitancy in that space, but they’ve seen a great uptick,” Sams said. “We’re seeing increased demand for [the Sheraton San Diego] from cruise travelers pre and post.”
4. Melia posts strong 2024 results
Melia, Spain's largest hotel chain, reported a 25% increase in net profit to €162 million ($168.7 million) in 2024, more than the €130 million estimate from analysts, Reuters reports.
Revenue per available room increased by 11% for the year, most of which was due to higher rates. Its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of €575.4 million was ahead of the company's target of €500 million.
5. Pilot error played role in close calls, crashes
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said pilot error played a role in most of the recent plane crashes and close calls in the U.S., NBC News reports. Duffy said pilots should lose their licenses if they do not follow instructions from air traffic controllers.
“A consequence-free space where you make errors, serious errors, and you don’t pay any kind of price for it, something’s wrong with that,” Duffy said. “And maybe this is the way we get pilots to start paying attention again and following the direction of air traffic controllers.”
NBC News reports that federal data shows the number of incidents and deaths on flights have not been rising compared with previous years, but sentiment of flight safety is decreasing.