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The U.S. is the only country in the world where foreign tourism spending is set to decline in 2025 compared to last year: A recent report from the World Travel & Tourism Council predicted a drop of 8.2% from 2024, a clear indicator that the global appeal of the U.S. is slipping, according to the industry group, driven by a sense that the Trump administration is hostile to foreigners. Visits from Germans and Danes are down by double digits, while Canadian visitors dropped 37% this July compared to last July. That reality has led some in the travel business to get creative. Enter ResortPass, a platform that allows anyone to experience all the perks of a luxury hotel without staying the night. It works with 2,000 hotel partners, including major U.S. chains from Kimpton and Hilton to the Ritz-Carlton, to offer amenities like pool access and spa passes to staycationers. Hotels have realized they need to figure out ways to monetize other parts of the hotel, said CEO Michael Wolf. The revenue that we send hotels is incredibly high margin, because there’s such low variable costs, he added. The view from home ResortPass takes a cut from each reservation. According to Wolf, the company has grown exponentially since he took the reins three years ago. And he said that its local dayguests or daycationers who are driving the most business: 87% of business in New York, 86% in the Bay Area, and 81% Los Angeles is from locals. Thats because while more international travelers are staying away, more Americans are also staying put. Forty-six percent of Americans planned a summer vacation this year, a steep drop from 53% last yearwith almost two-thirds stating its because they cant afford it. Fervor for revenge travel, a post-pandemic trend where holidaymakers made up for lost time with ambitious trips, has faded. In turn, working Americans are unlikely to even take all their vacation days; some 78% do not use all of their paid time off. Instead, consumers may be more drawn to indulge in short-term self-care, such as taking a day to rest and recharge, to lie by a pool or get a massage to help avoid burnout. And if you already live within transit distance of the hotel, even better: For example, a New Yorker can hop on the subway and hit the rooftop pool at the William Vale in Brooklyn. At the same time, hotel prices have surged in recent years; the average price of a New York City hotel room in September 2024 was $417, the highest monthly rate ever recorded. And hotels are keeping room rates high despite the lack of guests; ResortPass allows these establishments to generate an untapped stream of revenue from parts of the property that are already catering to overnight guests. Wolf says its akin to how airlines have (unpopularly) increased fees for amenities that were already present, such as add-on drip charges for seat selection or more legroom. The difference is [our] users love it, he says. Neighbors have purchasing power ResortPass has found that local day guests spend more during their brief staysat least double that of overnight guestsand tend to return to the property and recommend it to friends. If youre a day guest, by definition the premise of your day is to come and spend all day enjoying that hotel, Wolf said. Its helped vacation meccas like Las Vegas, he said, which saw tourism decline for a sixth consecutive month in July. Its one of ResortPasss best-growing markets, with hotels able to fill up underutilized cabanas and daybeds. ResortPass is bullish about the future even if the post-Labor Day weather is too chilly for pia coladas by the pool. Fall merely brings a different set of opportunities for customers, Wolf said, like cozy spa days and saunas. There’s an extra level of serendipity, he said, because you didn’t even know you could do this thing.
Category:
E-Commerce
The Walt Disney Co. will pay a $10 million fine to settle a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit alleging it allowed personal data to be collected on kids under 13, violating federal law.The FTC said Tuesday Disney violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, which requires kid-oriented apps and websites to get parents’ consent before collecting personal information of children under 13.According to the complaint, Disney failed to properly label some videos that it uploaded to YouTube as “Made for Kids.” The mislabeling allowed Disney, through YouTube, to collect personal data from children under 13 viewing child-directed videos and use that data for targeted advertising to children, the FTC said. That’s because, since the videos weren’t labeled as being for kids, they included targeted advertising.Representatives for Disney did not immediately return a message for comment.Google, the parent company of YouTube, agreed to pay $170 million in a similar settlement in 2019. Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
Japanese carmaker Toyota said on Wednesday it will invest 680 million euros ($792 million) on a new production line in the Czech Republic to make a battery electric car.The line will be built with a government incentive of up to 64 million euros ($75 million) to expand Toyota’s existing plant in Kolin, around 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Prague, the Czech government and the company said in a joint statement.It will become the first Toyota plant to produce battery electric cars in Europe.Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the new line will create another 245 jobs at the factory that already employs 3,200 people.Toyota did not disclose details of when production would start or of the model.The world’s top automaker currently makes Aygo X and Yaris Hybrid models at the plant, which made over 225,000 cars last year. Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
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