Good morning, readers.

ICE's immigration enforcement is putting big hotel brands and operators in a tough position — we traveled to Minneapolis to report how it's playing out. We have the scoop about an internal memo Tripadvisor CEO Matt Goldberg sent to employees. And the U.S. saw another decline in inbound tourism to start 2026.

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Skift Data + AI Summit

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Hotels

Sarah Kopit

Editor in Chief

Design by Skift

Hotels Weren't Built for ICE's Crackdown

The Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has revealed what happens when hotels become political battlegrounds — and the industry isn't prepared for it.

Hotels that housed ICE agents have learned that accepting those bookings carries consequences, including protests and boycotts.
Hotel owners have a key vulnerability when ICE is there: many workers won't show up.
"It's a no-win situation" for hotel owners right now, a hotel industry executive told us.

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Online Travel

scoop

Dennis Schaal

Executive Editor

Image by Skift

Confidential Tripadvisor Employee Memo

Tripadvisor CEO Matt Goldberg outlined recent challenges the company has faced in a note to employees, a copy of which was obtained by Skift.

He said two issues are worrying investors: results below expectations and the increasing concern about AI disintermediation.
Goldberg added there is also concern about the pace of decline at Tripadvisor's legacy hotel business.
Tripadvisor's "grow strategy" is to emphasize the experiences businesses and to trim the "reliance on our SEO-driven legacy model," he wrote.

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hotels

A New Era for Group Travel?

evermore orlando resort

Evermore's Elizabeth Mullins shares how residential hospitality is redefining group travel.

Mullins says travel should bring people closer "seamlessly and without compromise."
Evermore meets rising multi-gen demand with homes, amenities, and hotel-level service.

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Tourism

Rashaad Jorden

Associate Editor/Archivist

Image by Wikimedia Commons/Rosapicci

U.S. Inbound Tourism Slump Deepens

The U.S. travel industry started 2026 with a repeat of much of last year — a drop in inbound tourism.

International travel to the U.S. fell for the ninth straight month in January, with overseas visitation dropping 4.2%.
Five of the U.S.' top 10 source markets showed declines, with China, India, and Germany posting steeper drops than in December.
Inbound tourism remains well below pre-pandemic levels — just 83.5% of 2019 volume.

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