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1. China's tariffs on US take effect
China's tariffs on the United States — leveraged in retaliation to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration's tariffs on the country — take effect Monday.
On March 4, the U.S. implemented a 10% tax on all Chinese imports into the country. The new Chinese tariffs will include "a levy of 15 percent on U.S. products like chicken, wheat and corn, as well as 10 percent on products like soybeans, pork, beef and fruit," the New York Times reports.
A National People’s Congress spokesperson said last week that Trump’s latest tariffs had “disrupted the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains.”
2. Canada elects new leader concerned with US relations
Canada elected former banking executive Mark Carney of the country's Liberal Party as prime minister on Sunday. In his speech, he alluded to growing tensions between Canada and the U.S. due to implemented tariffs from Trump's administration, the New York Times reports.
“I know that these are dark days, dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust,” Carney said.
In recent months, demand for hotels on the U.S. side of the Canadian border has dropped, according to CoStar data.
Never holding an elected role, Carney was formerly the governor of the Bank of Canada during the 2008 global financial crisis. He also served as governor of the Bank of England during Brexit.
3. Hotel operator launches new venture to support third-party renovations
Atlanta-based Hospitality Ventures Management Group, a third-party hotel operator and investor, launched Elevate Renovations + Development to act as a third-party project manager and asset lifecycle services provider for hotel owners preparing for property-improvement plans or those considering hotel acquisitions and dispositions, Hotel News Now's Bryan Wroten reports.
HVMG has always had its own design and construction department focused on its own portfolio. Recently the company has explored renovating properties it doesn’t own or manage.
“We are opening ourselves up for the rest of the hospitality industry and taking our services to other ownership groups,” Suzanne Saunders, chief elevation officer at Elevate and senior vice president of design and construction at HVMG, said.
4. German airport workers' strike disrupts flights
Airport workers across Germany have staged a strike over pay, canceling hundreds of flights at the country's major travel hubs. Verdi, the trade union behind the strike, is in an ongoing dispute over wages and working conditions, the BBC reports. The strike started on Sunday at Hamburg Airport before expanding nationwide.
Monday's scheduled flights — 143 in Hamburg Airport and 1,770 in Frankfurt Airport — have already been canceled. Meanwhile in Munich, the majority of the city's 820 flights are expected to be canceled, with hundreds of more cancellations expected in Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Berlin.
"The union is demanding an 8% pay increase for airport workers, or at least €350 more per month, along with higher bonuses and extra time off. Employers have so far rejected these demands as unaffordable," reads the BBC article.
5. Americans opt for domestic travel spots in lieu of European trips
Fewer Americans will be booking European trips this year, according to a report from the European Travel Commission. American trips to the region dropped from 45% in 2024 to 37% in 2025, a significant decline since 2021.
“The decline in U.S. travel sentiment toward Europe reflects broader economic pressures, political uncertainty and evolving consumer preferences,” said Eduardo Santander, chief executive officer of the European Travel Commission, in the report.
What destinations are Americans considering instead? These five U.S. spots bring a European feel with a domestic price tag: Carmel-by-the-Sea, California; St. Augustine, Florida; Pella, Iowa; Boston; and Leavenworth, Washington.