Skift Take
It's all quiet for now, but what happens when the tariffs expand beyond China and into Europe?
The looming trade wars being waged by President Donald Trump against China don't appear to be having an impact on global businesses like Hilton, CEO Christopher Nassetta said Wednesday.
When asked if the company has seen any impact from trade concerns, Nassetta said, "So far, the answer is, we are not seeing anything that we can measure," referring to changes in booking patterns or impact on hotel development or operations in China.
"And I think things are progressing as they have been," he continued. "And we feel good about the remainder of the year. And as I said, we feel pretty darn good about the setup all things being equal for next year."
McLean, Virginia-based Hilton was one of the first major public hotel companies to release its second quarter earnings for 2018, and Nassetta's remarks could potentially serve as a bellwether for how potential trade wars could impact global hospitality companies. As of June 30, the company had a total of 5,456 hotels spread across 106 countries.
And despite the "trade sabre rattling," Nassetta noted, he said there's plenty of reason for "optimism," citing a more "positive psychology in the busi
