Dear Insider,

Only expect the unexpected. And then react to it: Ignore weak markets immediately and go full throttle to new promising regions. And move your employees with you. This is the somewhat simplified business model of Group CEO Dillip Rajakarier of the Thai Minor Group. This sounds like chaos, but it has something positive about it, because the Asian company acts agilely and quickly, bypassing trouble spots, expanding and reaping profits. In our interview this week, we both talked about such things, not much about figures, but of course also about the new Minor umbrella brand.

You have to know exactly what you want: Luxury or Lifestyle? No, it's not the same, because figures show that the casual and informal leave the classic and elegant far behind. Macy Marvel has drawn conclusions from the expansion of the top chains.

A court stopped Lufthansa's "sustainable" statements this week. And air travel is subject to criticism elsewhere too - the indulgence trade in CO2 balance has become opaque. Every country can now decide for itself what it does. The original idea has been watered down. On this topic, we start today with the airline industry; more to follow.

Our news today is colourful and interesting. Billions have long since been poured into large, sustainable mega-projects around the globe, resulting in shrunken mega-cities such as Neom/The Line, a stunted Green Wall in the Sahara and sad artificial cities. A warning shot for development? Probably not. Because there is far too much money in the world.

European investors once again believe in the return of large hotel transactions. London remains the capital of money in Europe. Anyone wishing to travel there must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) from next Wednesday.

Hilton remains the most valuable hotel brand; but some unexpected ones are catching up. In Thailand, the next wave of overtourism is on the horizon thanks to a satirical series about the neglected luxury class. Amadeus reports on other "Travel Dreams".

In addition to personnel changes and another long list of market news, four companies are also in the spotlight with their 2024 balance sheets: AccorInvest, H World, Orascom and Aroundtown.

We ourselves hope that many of these investment-happy companies, as well as start-ups and newbies, will find their way to our "World of Hospitality" at Expo Real 2025. There are new, affordable packages for them - and a new hub, including networking. October may still be a long way off, but planning for the joint stand is already well advanced. Read for yourself!

Thoughtful and light: China is once again investing billions in robotics and the payment landscape in Europe is changing. In Bali, hotel guests sometimes stay "locked up" for 24 hours. And if you're feeling tense after so much reading today, you should get a massage from a robot.

Yours,
Maria Puetz-Willems
Editor in Chief