The Hospitality Newsletter
Today Saturday, August 1, 2026

MGM Breaks Records as US Visas Plummet

Casino revenues surge while strict border policies choke inbound travel and Mexico battles a costly seaweed invasion.

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Market Snapshot

12 stories
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Casino Earnings ·MGM Resorts International generated 4.5 billion dollars in second-quarter revenue, boosting net income to 292 million dollars driven by Las Vegas Strip growth and digital gains.

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Search Visibility ·94 percent of hotels lack visibility in artificial intelligence search results, forcing marketing teams to shift budgets into upper-funnel content to capture early travel demand.

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Border Policy ·The United States finalized a visa bond program requiring 20,000 dollar deposits from foreign travelers, immediately dropping visa issuances from targeted nations by 83 percent.

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Beach Cleanup ·Mexico invested 115 million dollars into specialized vessels and offshore barriers to combat record sargassum seaweed levels washing up on Caribbean beaches.

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Our reporting

written from multiple sources
Original finance ·

Driftwood Capital: Hotel Credit Outperforms Office and Multifamily

A new Driftwood Capital analysis shows hotel credit defying market volatility, backed by high CMBS repayment rates and constrained new supply.

Written from 1 sources

Original marketing ·

Airlines Target Verified Identity to Reclaim Direct Bookings from OTAs

Carriers are shifting from traditional points-based loyalty to verified identity programs to secure direct relationships and combat online travel agency dominance.

Written from 1 sources

Original finance ·

UK Hotels Face Margin Pressures from Excluded Tax Cuts and 5% Levy

Hotel operators warn that rising business rates and a proposed English visitor levy threaten investment and demand.

Written from 2 sources

Original finance ·

GBTA Forecasts Corporate Travel Costs to Remain High Through 2026

Global airfares and hotel average daily rates will continue to climb in 2026 before price growth slows the following year.

Written from 3 sources

Original marketing ·

Skift Creator Summit 2026 Targets $115B Social Travel Demand

The inaugural New York forum will gather 100 senior leaders to solve the gap between creator-inspired travel demand and actual social bookings.

Written from 1 sources

Original operations ·

Mexico Spends $115M on Record Sargassum Surge as Hotels Cut Rates

The Mexican government is investing in vessels and barriers to fight foul-smelling seaweed on the Caribbean coast, while hotels are forced to lower prices.

Written from 2 sources

The wire

12 stories today

Everything else worth knowing, summarised and linked to the original.

MGM Resorts Reports Record $4.5B Q2 2026 Revenue MGM Resorts International achieved record consolidated revenue of $4.5 billion in Q2 2026, driven by growth on the Las V… finance Lodging Magazine · US Makes Visa Bond Rule Permanent as Arrivals Drop 83% The U.S. has finalized its visa bond program, requiring select foreign tourists and business travelers to deposit up to … operations Skift · Expedia Acquires AI Trip-Planner Layla to Boost Tech Talent Expedia Group has acquired Berlin-based AI trip-planning startup Layla to accelerate its deployment of specialized AI ag… technology Skift · Accor and Treebo Call Off India Expansion Deal Accor and Treebo Hospitality Ventures have mutually terminated negotiations for a master licensee partnership in India. … finance Skift · Hotels Shift Budgets Upstream to Win AI Search Visibility With 94% of hotels invisible in AI search results, hospitality leaders are rethinking commercial ownership and moving bu… marketing Skift · Hyatt Posts 5.9% Q2 RevPAR Growth Led by Luxury Segment Hyatt Hotels Corp. reported a 5.9% increase in Q2 RevPAR, driven primarily by luxury and upper-upscale performance despi… finance asianhospitality.com ·
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