Skift Take
We'll see what the hotel industry has to say (or doesn't say) when Trump issues his revised travel ban plans next week.
While we wait for the Trump Administration to deploy the second iteration of its controversial travel ban affecting seven Muslim-majority countries, the travel industry has had a few weeks to process the original ban, which went into effect on January 27 and was blocked by federal courts earlier this month.
During recent analyst calls to discuss fourth quarter and full year earnings, hotel CEOs and executives discussed what kind of impact, if any, the ban has had on their business, as well as what kind of potential, longer-term impact it could have going forward.
For many of these executives, it was the first time they spoke publicly about the policy. In the immediate aftermath of the executive order, most major hotel companies remained silent about the ban, in contrast to other travel companies and tourism organizations.
The only major U.S. hotel company to issue a statement about the ban was Choice Hotels, whose statement was as follows: "Choice Hotels supports efforts to ensure the safety and security of the United States. At the same time, we urge the administration to find a balanced approach that promotes travel. More specifically, we ask the administration to welcome international visitors and immigrants who travel to our country to enjoy our sights and landmarks, conduct business, visit family, and to live and work, while providing appropriate travel security solutions that protect all Americans." During Choice Hotels' earnings call, CEO Stephen P. Joyce was not asked about the travel ban by analysts and he did not mention it in his prepared
