Caribbean-inspired US restaurant chain Pollo Tropical is seeking franchisees with hospitality experience to help it expand into cities in the UK. Pollo Tropical could become a familiar brand on our high streets if its franchise is taken up by a large operator.

Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will stop flying to Kingston next year, reportedly citing the impending un-sustainability of the route. The last London-Kingston flight will be on April 16, 2012. The rising cost of fuel and Air Jamaica’s planned relaunch of a London to Kingston service were among the factors the airline considered in reaching its decision.

In the latest sign of thawing relations between the United States and Cuba, Oakland International Airport has been authorized to offer nonstop flights to Havana. The airport announced Wednesday that as soon as December it will provide weekly charter flights to and from Jose Marti International Airport.

In a letter to Jamaica’s tourism minister, an International Air Transport Association (IATA) official urged Jamaica’s government to abandon plans to implement a $10 increase in its air passenger arrival tax. Cyriel Kronenburg, IATA’s assistant director of infrastructure, was quoted in Caribbean press reports Sunday saying the hike, scheduled to take effect in October.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) imposed a civil penalty against TACA International Airlines for violating the DOT’s rules prohibiting deceptive advertising of airfares. The company was assessed a $55,000 civil penalty.

The U.S. hotel industry ended 2010 with $127.7 billion in total revenue, up 0.4 percent over 2009, according to the Hotel Operating Statistics (HOST) Study for 2010, compiled by STR. According to the HOST Study, pre-tax income increased 12.5 percent to $2 billion in 2010 after dropping 38 percent in 2009.