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1. Visa Processing Suffers Backlogs
Securing a visa through the U.S. Department of State has become even more of a challenge for international tourists, business travelers, foreign workers and immigrants, Bloomberg Law reports.
"Backlogs at U.S. embassies and consulates are driven in part by a post-pandemic hangover and the immigrant visa bans carried out by the Trump administration. The State Department is also struggling to recover from staff attrition over recent years. But industry groups say the U.S. could do more to expedite visa processing with steps such as virtual interviews for applicants," the news outlet reports.
In Miami, for example, international visitors make up about 50% of the business and tourist travel demand, according to Rolando Aedo, chief operating officer at Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. The visa wait times prevent Miami from fully maximizing "the economic impact [international travel] generates for us," he told the news outlet.
2. Death Toll From Cuba Hotel Explosion Rises to 40
The death toll at the Hotel Saratoga in Old Havana, Cuba, has risen to at least 40 people following an apparent gas leak that ignited an explosion Friday, the Associated Press reports. A total of 18 people remain hospitalized from injuries.
The explosion blew out the 96-room hotel's outer walls and damaged several neighboring structures, the news outlet reports. Hotel Saratoga was planning to reopen after shutting its doors for two years.
Hotel Saratoga is owned by Grupo de Turismo Gaviota, one of the businesses in the country run by the Cuban military. Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion.
3. Hoteliers, Investors Grapple Over European Asset Valuations
The pace of hotel deals in Europe has not increased since the start of the pandemic, causing concern for hoteliers about how inflation and consumer confidence could affect hotel asset prices, reports HNN's Terence Baker from the International Hotel Investment Forum.
“There is a lot of dry powder, but everyone is looking for the same returns, so pricing remains the same. I’m telling my team to create the right deals and then go knocking on the doors of the right owners,” said Camil Yazbeck, senior vice president of development for northern Europe at Accor.
4. Airlines Adjust To Manage Summer Schedules
With summer travel ramping up, U.S. airlines are adjusting to create reliable flight schedules to avoid disruption, the Washington Post reports.
Airlines' proactive measures include "trimmed schedules and added service to the busiest routes," the news outlet reports. However, a key piece to this renewed effort is hiring enough staff.
American Airlines added 12,000 employees since last summer; United Airlines introduced 6,000 new workers this year and is hiring 200 pilots per month; and Southwest reported a net gain of about 5,000 workers since the start of the year, with a plan to have more than 10,000 in 2022.
5. US Plans To Lift Tariffs on Ukrainian Steel for One Year
As the Biden administration provides aid to Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion, it announced plans to lift tariffs on Ukrainian steel for one year, the New York Times reports.
"Ukraine is a fairly minor supplier of U.S. steel, shipping about 218,000 metric tons in 2019, to rank 12th among America’s foreign suppliers. However, the sector is a significant source of economic growth and employment for Ukraine, and steel mills have continued to provide paychecks, food and shelter for their workers through the war," the newspaper reports.
Three years ago, the U.S. placed a 25% tariff on foreign steel and a 10% tariff on foreign aluminum.