Editor's Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. Chinese manufacturers weigh options to curb tariffs
In light of U.S. President Donald Trump enacting a 10% tariff on Chinese products earlier this month, Chinese manufacturers are scrambling to come up with alternative plans to avoid the financial hit, the Wall Street Journal reports. Many manufacturers are looking into opening factories or finding partners in other nearby Southeast Asian countries to avoid the tariff.
Agilian Technology, an electronics manufacturer in China, is quickly setting up some of its production in Malaysia as threats of additional tariffs loom.
“It is forcing us to accelerate the work,” said Renaud Anjoran, executive vice president of Agilian.
2. Mexican authorities, US Embassy urge safety over spring break
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a joint message urging U.S. citizens traveling to Mexico over spring break to prioritize their safety, Travel Noire reports. Mexican authorities are anticipating about 35,000 visitors starting toward the end of February.
"The travel advisory also paints a nuanced picture of Mexico’s safety situation. It acknowledges that while most trips unfold without incident, certain precautions are essential. Criminal activity, including violent crime, can occur even in popular tourist areas," the news outlet reports.
3. Hyatt launches new brand, Hyatt Select
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is launching a new upper-midscale segment brand, Hyatt Select, HNN's Sean McCracken reports. It will be the sixth brand to join the company's "Essentials Portfolio" of select-service brands.
Dan Hansen, Hyatt's head of Americans development and global head of Hyatt Studios, said in an interview the new brand has close connections to Hyatt Studios, as both target secondary and tertiary markets that Hyatt lacks a presence in to give World of Hyatt loyalty members more options.
"If you look at the growth of Hyatt over the last decade, we've tried to be very intentional about finding places where we could add value to the Hyatt system and meet guest needs where they travel," Hansen said. "As we did with the launch of Hyatt Studios, we've identified a number of markets where Hyatt has little or no representation that we can fill with a conversion-friendly, transient brand."
4. Resorts World Las Vegas tech upgrade causes delays
Thousands of guests had to wait hours to access their rooms at Resorts World Las Vegas this past weekend after a planned automation upgrade took longer than expected to conclude, NBC News reports. The property — which includes three Hilton hotels, a Hilton, Conrad and Crockfords — started a computer upgrade Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and instead of it completing overnight, the process of migrating data from one system to another didn't finish until Saturday.
"Resorts World Las Vegas recently implemented an upgrade to our booking and hotel technology platform," Resorts World said in a statement. "We experienced longer-than-expected delays in our guest check-in process due to an unforeseen outage related to this upgrade."
Resorts World is offering inconvenienced customers a 50% discount on another stay.
5. US economic growth decreased in January
The Chicago Fed National Activity Index declined to negative 0.03 in January from 0.18 in December, indicating that the U.S.'s economic activity lost pace at the beginning of the year, the Wall Street Journal reports.
"Falling activity in production, and personal consumption and housing were to blame for the weaker activity at the start of 2025, the figures showed. By contrast, employment-related indicators gained steam, suggesting the jobs market remains robust," the newspaper reports.