Hilton CEO: Post-Election Bump for Business Travel and China Rebound

Skift Take

Trump’s Impact on Travel
Read how the first 100 days of U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions and policies are shaping the future of travel, and get insights into the industry's evolving response.Hilton Worldwide has entered 2025 with increasing optimism about its growth prospects. President and CEO Chris Nassetta said he's banking on a post-election boost in corporate travel and a continued recovery in China.
"We are well positioned for another strong year, driven by sustained demand across key segments and a robust development pipeline," Nassetta said during an earnings call Thursday.
Nassetta pointed to the U.S. election results as a potential tailwind for business travel, particularly in corporate-heavy markets.
"We're super-optimistic about what's going to go on broadly with the economy," Nassetta told analysts. "When you lift above all the noise, I still believe the opportunity is broadly even better than we thought it was going to be."
Nassetta said greater clarity around the likely direction of tax and regulatory policies would give corporations confidence in making decisions and to increase business travel. He forecasted a notable uptick in business travel by major companies, particularly in the tech