Tourists leaving Sri Lanka. Tourists are leaving Sri Lanka and hotels are bracing for cancellations after a deadly terrorist attack that killed 290 people targeted foreigners and churchgoers. Holidaymakers are flocking to the main airport, cutting short their vacations in the wake of coordinated blasts at churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday. Kishu Gomes, chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, said he couldn’t give an exact count of the number of people leaving, but it could run into the thousands. Tour operators in India, the biggest source market for visitors to Sri Lanka, are also canceling trips for clients. That would hurt an industry that contributes almost 5% to the economy.
Empowering women. Accor has appointed Heather McCrory as chief executive officer, North & Central America. McCrory will also serve as a member of the group’s Executive Committee. She will have strategic oversight for over 115 hotels and more than 28,000 employees across North and Central America. McCrory most recently served as executive vice president of Operations, North & Central America Region for Accor.
Flat March in U.S. The U.S. hotel industry reported mostly flat results in the three key performance metrics during March 2019, according to data from STR. In a year-over-year comparison with March 2018, the industry posted flat occupancy at 68.4%; a 0.6% bump ion ADR to US$132.66; and a 0.6% increase in RevPAR to US$90.78. “Considering there would have been a helpful pivot in group business because of the Easter calendar shift, this was probably the industry’s worst March since the recession,” said Jan Freitag, STR’s senior VP of lodging insights.
AJ to Dallas. Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners has acquired the Lumen Hotel in Dallas. The hotel will continue to operate independently as the Lumen Hotel while undergoing renovations. Once complete in spring 2020, the property will debut as Graduate Dallas. Following the renovation, the hotel will offer 95 guestrooms, a communal lobby, Poindexter coffee shop, a reimagined restaurant and bar, rooftop lounge and upgraded pool courtyard.
Thomas Cook in play: Tour operator Thomas Cook has been tentatively approached by the likes of KKR & Co and China’s Fosun International about a takeover of its tour operating unit, or the entire company, as it manages through financial ills, Sky News reported on Saturday. The company, which has put its airline business up for sale, last month announced a review of its money division to help focus on its core holiday business after a rough 2018.
Five Canopy deals. Hilton’s lifestyle brand, Canopy by Hilton, has five new deals, including signings in Washington D.C. Embassy Row, Paris Trocadero, Bordeaux Chartrons, Portland (Maine) Waterfront, and Venice, Italy. The Venice and Paris openings will be the Italian and French debuts for the Canopy by Hilton brand and this will be the third Canopy to call the Washington D.C. area home. Hilton expects 30 Canopy hotels to open in the next five years.
Singapore sale: Singapore-based investment holding firm United Industrial Corp. has acquired the 575-key Marina Mandarin Singapore and parts of the Marina Square complex for US$500 million.