Hospitality & Leisure

Hangzhou – October 18, 2026 -- The 4th Liangzhu Forum opened on October 18 in Yuhang, Hangzhou, with hundreds of Chinese and foreign guests, after the event was written into the outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan this year.

Forum becomes a permanent national-level dialogue mechanism

Launched in 2023, the forum has advanced civilizational dialogue between China and Belt and Road partner countries. Following three previous sessions, it has evolved into a permanent national-level mechanism for dialogues on civilizations. This year's theme is "Bridging the Past and Future: Safeguarding Cultural Heritage for Our Times."

The edition coincides with the 90th anniversary of the discovery of the Liangzhu Site. The Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019.

Macao – October 17, 2026 -- International travel has reached 690 million trips so far this year, 3 million more than in the same period last year, UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais told the 12th Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) in Macao on Saturday, despite geopolitical tension and conflict in the Middle East.

The forum opened at the MGM Theater at MGM COTAI under the theme "Crisis, Resilience, Evolution." It returns to its founding host city after the 11th edition was held in Harbin, Heilongjiang, in December, the first time the event left Macao.

United States – – October 17, 2026 -- Seventy percent of Americans buy food or drinks from fast food restaurants at least once a month, and 30% do so weekly, according to YouGov's Best Bites 2026: U.S. restaurant brand rankings.

Younger, middle-income diners drive weekly fast food demand

Of weekly fast food diners, 51% are under 45 and 49% live in middle-income households. Value and discount menus are the biggest drivers of visits, followed by a clean dining environment.

Taco Bell takes 30.3% of votes for best tacos and burritos

Taco Bell leads its category by nearly 10 points over Chipotle, the widest margin among the categories YouGov highlights.

Burgers are a much tighter race. Five Guys leads with 15.5% of Americans naming it best for burgers, just ahead of Burger King at 15.0% and In-N-Out Burger at 12.1%.

National Harbor, Maryland – October 17, 2026 -- Five Guys will award $100,000 to the winner of its Five Guys Games final on May 13 at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, closing a six-month internal contest open to the chain's 50,000 employees.

Three timed events decide the $100,000 grand prize

Finalists compete in a potato race, a cheese stack race and a QC wrapping race. The Five Guys Training Team judges the events, watching and timing each competitor for speed and accuracy.

The Olympic-style contest began as an idea from the Murrell family to reward store crew members. Crew members, managers and general managers have competed through store, regional and semifinal rounds.

Alexandria, Va. – October 17, 2026 -- Jonathan Martinez of Kingston, New York, won the 2026 Five Guys Games and took home a tax-free $100,000 check, headlining a finale that closed the burger chain's 40th Anniversary Conference at The Theater at MGM National Harbor in Maryland.

Eight finalists compete across three speed-and-accuracy events

Eight finalists went head-to-head on May 13 in three events: the potato race, the cheese race and the dressing/QC race. Each event tests speed, skill and accuracy. Every finalist received at least $10,000.

Jackson Chimbay of Wallkill, New York, placed second and won $50,000. Peter Le of Derry, New Hampshire, took third and $25,000.

The remaining finalists were Joshua Harvey of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Jose Once of Spring Valley, New York; Carson Tate of Kingsport, Tennessee; Enock Akuwure of Liverpool, UK; and Aurelien Favreau of Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Arlington – October 17, 2026 -- Five Guys has earned its ninth successive Great Place To Work® certification, with 82% of Five Guys Enterprises LLC corporate and store employees calling it a great place to work. That compares with 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company, a gap of 25 percentage points.

Survey shows 91% of employees have the resources to do their jobs

The survey results cover corporate staff and company-owned store teams. Employee responses included:

• 91% say they have the equipment and resources to do their job.
• 91% believe Five Guys customers would rate the service as excellent.
• 87% say they are treated as a full member of the team regardless of position.
• 87% say new hires are made to feel welcome.

Employees describe the company as people, team, fun, family and food

Asked to describe Five Guys in their own words, employees gave those five terms as the top responses.

Beijing – October 16, 2026 -- More than 200 domestic and international dignitaries attended the opening of the World Winter Sports Expo 2026 (WWSE 2026) in Beijing on October 15, a event aligned with the directives of China's 15th Five-Year Plan for the ice and snow industry.

The Expo is a legacy of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Its stated mission is to expand the ice and snow economy, cultivate new productive forces in the sector and deepen the integration of culture, sports and tourism. Organizers structured the program around three directions: upgrading the ice and snow industry, deepening culture-sports-tourism integration, and empowering the outdoor economy through technology. The format includes an opening ceremony, a main conference, parallel sessions and special thematic events.

ATLANTA – October 16, 2026 -- Sumo Championship League (SCL) added 14 athletes to its roster, lifting the total to 59 athletes representing 15 countries as the new professional league builds its competitive depth during its inaugural season.

SCL signs former Japanese Grand Sumo competitors

The new additions include former Japanese Grand Sumo competitors and international champions. Shijirbayar Chimidregzen reached the rank of Maegashira 9 in Japanese Grand Sumo, while Delgersaikhan Uuganbaatar reached Makushita 7.

Individual event fields for the new athletes will be announced in advance, according to the league. Athlete participation will vary by event.

Stuart Snyder, Chairman and CEO of SCL, said the larger roster gives the league more matchups and rivalries, and that fans are responding to the sport's energy.

Nashville – October 16, 2026 -- Doussan Music Group (DMG Presents) has opened a second office in Nashville's Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood and appointed three executives, as the independent concert promoter prepares a 16-date fall tour with Jon Pardi and 10 November dates with Aaron Lewis.

Nashville office joins Covington headquarters to deepen industry ties

The Nashville site complements DMG's headquarters in Covington, Louisiana. The company says it will strengthen connections with artists, agents, venues and industry partners nationwide. President and CEO Russell Doussan called the move "a natural next step" in the company's evolution.

Ljubljana – October 16, 2026 -- Slovenia presented its pavilion concept for EXPO 2027 Belgrade at a Ljubljana networking event, as bilateral goods trade with Serbia stood at approximately USD 2.04 billion in 2025, according to Serbia's Statistical Office.

Slovenia's Expo commissioner and tourist board director present the pavilion concept

Saša Lavrič, General Commissioner for EXPO 2027 Belgrade, and Mag. Maja Pak Olaj, Director of the Slovenian Tourist Board, presented the concept at the "Visit Serbia B2B Networking" event. More than 50 business and tourism representatives attended, linking Slovenian companies and travel agents with Serbian partners.

Opening remarks came from Danilo Jerinić, CEO of EXPO 2027 Belgrade; Blaž Cvar, President of Slovenia's Chamber of Craft and Small Business; and Mag. Leon Korošec, State Secretary at Slovenia's Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport.