Crises and AI, hot topics and the HITT
Dear Insider,
Airlines are changing their routes; these changes are affecting destination markets; in the Middle East, hotel occupancy rates are falling sharply, in Greece, bookings are reportedly stalling; and the governments of Dubai, Cyprus and Egypt are beginning to provide financial support to hotels and tourism companies. The chaos and tension surrounding the Iran conflict continue.
This makes the brief item in today's News Mix all the more baffling, to put it politely: The city of Cluj-Napoca in Romania is preparing the first stage of planning permission for a Trump Tower comprising 250 apartments and a 150-room luxury hotel.
Despite the crisis, business carries on as usual, as Susanne Stauss and I gathered from our many conversations in Berlin. International chains continue to adapt their strategies, sometimes in a rather dull way, sometimes in a lively one. We listened to Hyatt, Minor, Leonardo, the Vienna Tourist Board, Accor, Marriott and UBM. Everyone wants to fill every niche. The craze for brands continues, as does the appeal of franchising.
The chains are now desperate for independent hotels and want to make their soft brands even more flexible. Villa Viva might well have fitted into this category – hotels as "social guesthouses", a perfect, alternative product for investors and operators keen on niche markets, such as Stephan Gerhard. But franchise is not his cup of tea. ... More
Magazine
The memorandum of understanding was signed yesterday, 1 April 2026: Accor has sold its 30.56% stake in Essendi to Blackstone and Colony IM – for 975 million euros.
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News Mix overview
Marketplace
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN World Tourism Organisation have launched the "Recipe of Change" initiative to tackle a global sustainability challenge: food waste.
Many travellers want to make the most of every moment on their journeys through Europe. To meet this demand, operators constantly expand the range of overnight train services.
Anyone who's tired on a flight longs to be able to stretch out across three seats. It's not actually comfortable. Now an airline has found a solution.
The Black Forest is rethinking rural tourism: currently, the region is working on a concept that transforms entire villages into hotels – without constructing any new buildings. This is based on the Italian model of the "Alberghi Diffusi".
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