U.S. fights Trump hotel record release. U.S. Justice Department lawyers asked a federal judge on Friday to let them file a legal appeal that could, for now, keep President Donald Trump’s critics from getting access to financial records related to his Washington, D.C. hotel. Trump has been fighting multiple lawsuits that argue foreign representatives’ spending money at the Trump International Hotel is a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause, which bans federal officials from accepting benefits from foreign or state governments without congressional approval. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte, based in Maryland, ruled last month that one of those lawsuits could go forward.
Racetrack proposed for New Mexico. Full House Resorts proposed to the New Mexico Racing Commission to build a resort near Clovis, New Mexico, that would include a racetrack, casino, luxury hotel, golf course and water park. The proposal was submitted in response to the New Mexico Racing Commission’s competitive process for the state’s sixth racing license. Las Vegas-based Full House operates five casino and related facilities in the United States. The company optioned about 520 acres east of Clovis for the project named La Posada Del Llano. “We believe that eastern New Mexico has tremendous potential to attract visitors from throughout the area, including from nearby Amarillo, Lubbock, and other parts of western Texas,” Full House CEO Daniel R. Lee said.
Direct bookings rise. A third of travelers said they booked direct through a supplier instead of through an OTA, according to a report by Phocuswright presented at the recent Hotel Data Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Lorraine Sileo, senior vice president of research at Phocuswright, said the preference for direct reservations was up from 2016, when only 24% of travelers booked directly. She also reported that 55% of 18- to 34-year-old hotel loyalty members joined in the past two years, citing better prices and free Wi-Fi as the top reasons for joining. In addition, 65% of U.S. hotel guests place high importance on hotels investing in technology, Sileo said.
Palau tourism caught in standoff. Empty hotel rooms, idle tour boats and shuttered travel agencies reveal widening fissures in the tiny Pacific nation of Palau, which is caught in an escalating diplomatic tug-of-war between China and Taiwan, Reuters reported. Late last year, China effectively banned tour groups to the idyllic tropical archipelago, branding it an illegal destination due to its lack of diplomatic status. As China extends its influence across the Pacific, Palau is one of Taipei’s 18 remaining allies worldwide and is under pressure to switch allegiances, officials and business people say. “There is an ongoing discussion about China weaponizing tourism,” said Jeffrey Barabe, owner of Palau Central Hotel and Palau Carolines Resort in Koror.
Earthquakes rattle Indonesian resorts. Multiple earthquakes struck Indonesia’s Lompok island Sunday, the first measuring 6.3. The quakes came weeks after a 6.9 quake left nearly 500 dead and 350,000 displaced. A dozen foreign guests at the hotel Lina Senggigi, a popular tourist spot, were ushered out of the building as the quake struck. “The jolt was strong and quite long. Tonight we will ask our guests to sleep in the parking lot. It’s safer that way,” a staff member told Kompas TV.