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1. Wildfires Ravage Parts of Maui, Killing 36
Wildfires, which have recently hit parts of Greece and Portugal, now are raging in Maui and evacuations are underway. CNN reported that 36 people have died because of the fires. Hawaii Lieutenant Gov. Sylvia Luke issued a proclamation discouraging tourists and others from visiting the island.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported two hotels in downtown Lahaina have burned down, the Best Western Pioneer Inn and The Plantation Inn.
There also are wildfires in the Kohala district of Big Island, CNN reported. Scientists said the wildfires are being fanned by very strong ocean winds originating from Hurricane Dora, even though the epicenter of that turbulence is several hundred miles away from the Hawaiian islands.
2. TUI Exec Says Guests’ Choice of Vacation Preferences Likely To Change
Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI, Europe’s largest package-vacation and travel firm, said heatwaves and climate change are likely to make hotel guests and other travelers alter the months in which they take their vacations. He added they also are likely to “choose cooler destinations… [such as the] Belgian or Polish coast,” which he added could benefit the industry by scattering demand over more of the year, the BBC reports. Due to tradition and company annual-leave policies, many vacationers in such places as France, Italy and Spain do tend to travel only in August.
Ebel said recent wildfires in Rhodes, Greece, had cost the firm approximately €25 million ($27.4 million). He told the BBC that his firm “was set to broaden the amount of destinations it offered to mitigate against similar risks in the future.” Although he added the Mediterranean region remained one of the top places for holidaymakers.
3. China Experiences Deflationary Pressure Amid Sizable Youth Unemployment
As some world leaders have banned Chinese imports and demand for Chinese products among consumers has fallen, the Wall Street Journal reports those macroeconomic factors have "tipped China into deflationary territory for the first time in two years, adding pressure on Beijing to act more aggressively to avoid a deepening economic malaise.” The newspaper said the decline should worry the West, notably the possibility that a “flood of low-price Chinese goods risks squeezing profits for producers in other countries and hurting employment opportunities.”
The Wall Street Journal added that for “China, the absence of inflation reflects an imbalance in an economy characterized by ample supply and dormant domestic demand, the latter of which economists say Beijing must do more to rouse.” Youth unemployment remains a potent concern in a country, with 21.3% of that group currently being jobless.
4. Weekly US, Canada Hotel Performance Muted
U.S. hotel performance for the week ending Aug. 5 saw mixed performance, with occupancy falling by 1% in year-over-year numbers to 68.9%, but average daily rate and revenue per available room both increasing slightly over the same period, by 2.2% to $158.10 and 1.2% to $108.97, respectively, according to data from STR. Among the top 25 markets, Boston posted the highest year-over-year occupancy lift, up 12.4% to 84.3% and the highest RevPAR uptick, up 25.4% to $201.02.
The Canadian hotel industry also saw only modest changes in performance, with occupancy rising 0.1% to 74.4%, ADR rising 5% to 223.18 Canadian dollars ($166.20) and RevPAR rising 5.1% to CA$165.99. Manitoba posted the best results in that period, with occupancy increasing 11.8% to 81.7%, ADR increasing 20.3% to CA$169.20 and RevPAR increasing 34.5% to CA$138.38.
5. Wyndham Starts Celebration of 50-Year-Old Super 8
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has launched a year of birthday celebrations for its brand Super 8 by Wyndham, which turns 50 years old in 2024. The first hotel of the brand opened in Aberdeen, South Dakota, with 60 rooms.
Brand President Mike Mueller said following a $140 million makeover of some of Super 8's portfolio, executives had the idea to kick off the anniversary party by giving makeovers to both its loyalty members and others. Free hair cuts will be offered to truck drivers at several stops in the Midwest through Aug. 15, as Mueller said that truck drivers have been a hugely important guest staple for the brand since its inception. The initiative will end in Chicago but will include such places as Super 8 by Wyndham Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Super 8 by Wyndham Portage, Wisconsin.