Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. White Lodging Founder Dies
Bruce White, founder and chairman of hospitality management company White Lodging, died at the age of 70, according to a news release issued Thursday.
White founded the company in 1985 with a single hotel and grew it into a privately held development, management and ownership company. He was also active in philanthropic efforts, both investing and pledging a total of $100 million in legacy investments designed to transform communities.
“Bruce was a visionary, a leader and a hospitality icon like no other,” White Lodging Chief Executive Officer Jean-Luc Barone said in the news release. “I have learned more from Bruce about hard work, leadership and family than any other person in my life. And while he maintained a low public profile and was humble in his impact on the industry, there’s no question that Bruce White helped transform the modern hospitality industry by having a long-term vision, challenging existing norms and executing at the highest levels — all from a small town in Northwest Indiana.”
2. Hong Kong, Macau Favored Destinations for Lunar New Year
Businesses across Asia are hopeful the Lunar New Year holidays will boost Chinese tourism, but tour operators say that likely won't be the case for some destinations, including the beaches of Bali, Indonesia, and the ski slopes of Hokkaido, Japan, the Associated Press reports. Chinese territories of Macau and Hong Kong are instead the most popular destinations.
“I think the tourists will return around the end of February or early March at the earliest,” said Sisdivachr Cheewarattaporn, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association.
In addition to limited flight options, the delay is partly related to many Chinese citizens lacking passports and tour operators still ramping up, Cheewarattaporn told the news outlet.
3. Hotel Developers Frustrated by Interest Rate Hikes
Hotel developers banking on a reprieve in building material costs such as lumber and steel are now weighed down by high interest rates for construction loans, reports Hotel News Now contributor Danny King.
“Lower [materials] prices may make it a little easier to get deals done, but there are lots of other inputs going in the other direction. Interest rates are causing more heartburn, and then you get into the finishes like carpet, wall coverings and [furnishings, fixtures and equipment] costs and lead times are still way above where they were pre-pandemic,” Steve Schrope, director of hospitality management at real-estate firm CBRE, said.
4. Strikes Erupt in France
More than 1 million people gathered in France Thursday to protest against the government's plans to increase the retirement age for workers, CNN reports. France's government argues this is a necessary step to overcome a pension funding deficit.
"Eight of the biggest unions took part in the industrial action against pension reforms unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron’s government. The unions have called for another day of action on Jan. 31 against legislation that will require French citizens to work until 64, from 62 currently, to qualify for a full state pension," the news outlet reports.
5. FAA Reviews Flight Disruption
A preliminary review by the Federal Aviation Administration shows that the delay of thousands of flights across the U.S. last week was a result of a contractor unintentionally deleting files prior to the outage of the Notice to Air Missions system, CNBC reports.
The disruption remains under investigation, but the FAA says there hasn't been evidence of a cyberattack or malicious intent.
"The agency said it updated lawmakers on its investigation on Thursday. Lawmakers from both parties demanded answers about technology vulnerabilities in the U.S. aviation system," the news outlet reports.