Burnham urged to axe tourist tax expansion in devolution drive Hospitality A leading hospitality trade body has urged Andy Burnham to drop plans to expand the so-called “tourist tax” across the country as part of his devolution drive. UK Hospitality (UKH) has written a letter to the Prime Minister, seen by Morning Wire, warning that the government’s overnight visitor levy would cost 33,000 jobs in the [...]
‘Poorly designed’ policies threatening London’s grip on global tourism Hospitality London’s competitiveness as a leading culture and tourism destination is being undermined by “poorly designed” policies, the West End’s leading business advocate has warned. Dee Corsi, chief executive of the New West End Company (NWEC), has said that London is “competing with one hand tied behind its back” compared to global rivals whose policymakers are [...]
Sign of the Dimes: Harry Styles Wembley run to drive £1bn spending frenzy Hospitality Harry Styles’ 12-night Wembley residency is set to rake in more than £1bn in spending in the capital, smashing previous records set by Taylor Swift concertgoers. The Mancunian popstar is expected to attract £88.3m in spending per night, far higher than the £66.5m recorded during Taylor Swift’s UK Eras Tour dates in 2024, according to [...]
Watches of Switzerland shares surge on record revenue as US demand soars May 14, 2026 Watches of Switzerland shares surged after the firm revealed record revenue growth, boosted by wealthy Americans flocking to luxury watches. The UK’s largest luxury watch retailer hailed a 13 per cent jump in revenue to £1.8bn in the year to May, as revenue climbed by 24 per cent to £1.2bn in its US market alone. [...]
P&O Ferries hikes prices as Iran war puts holidays on brink May 10, 2026 Leading ferry operator P&O Ferries is saddling holidaymakers with up to £50 surcharges as the Iran war threatens to derail Brits’ summer holidays. P&O, which is owned by Dubai-based DP World, has said it will impose one-way surcharges of £27 per vehicle for its route between Hull and Rotterdam, meaning passengers will pay £54 more [...]
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin clashes with Ryanair over airport breakfast booze May 7, 2026 The boss of JD Wetherspoon has clashed with the chief of budget airline Rynair over calls for airports to crack down on early morning drinking. Tim Martin, chair of the UK’s best-known pub chain, has said regulating alcohol consumption at airports is a “Big Brother” approach which could lead to passengers being breathalysed. Ryanair boss [...]
London hotel occupancy slides as Iran war wreaks travel havoc May 4, 2026 International travel chaos caused by the Iran war is beginning to hit London’s hotels, fresh data has found. The occupancy of London’s hotels fell year on year in March, according to audit firm RSM.Hotel experts attribute the decline to a fall in tourism. Luxury London hotels enjoy a huge amount of custom from Middle Eastern [...]
‘Politically toxic’ holiday tax could turn voters against Labour, hospitality leaders warn May 4, 2026 The “politically toxic” holiday tax could turn hordes of voters against Labour if it is pushed through, hospitality leaders have warned the government. The proposed tax could threaten the fragile majorities of a host of Labour big beasts including health secretary Wes Streeting and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, trade body UK Hospitality (UKH) has claimed. [...]
Brits booking holidays last minute over Iran war fears, says Jet2 April 29, 2026 Budget airline Jet2 said Brits are leaving holiday bookings until the very last minute as the Iran war threatens to wreak havoc on summer tourism plans. The UK’s third-largest package holiday provider said on Wednesday: “Since commencement of the conflict in the Middle East, the booking profile has become increasingly close to departure.” But the [...]
Airport warning over ‘full’ Heathrow as transfer traffic takes off on Iran war April 29, 2026 London’s main gateway to the world and the UK’s busiest airport issued a forthright warning over its capacity on Wednesday, as war in the Middle East meant demand for flight transfers took off. “Heathrow is full”, said its chief financial officer, Sally Ding. She spoke out alongside the release of first-quarter numbers which revealed 18.9m [...]