Media and leisure

Understanding value in travel and hospitality: valuation approaches and transaction trends

We discuss valuations, deal structures and market drivers in the travel and hospitality sectors.

2026 World Cup: commercial and financial impacts of major sporting events across sport, media and hospitality

This webinar brings together industry and finance experts to explore how accountants can support organisations in navigating the financial and commercial impact of a global sporting event.

2025 round up and 2026 predictions for the Entertainment, Sport & Media sector

This webinar offered members of the Entertainment, Sport & Media Community a clear overview of the themes shaping the past year and the factors expected to influence the year ahead.

Thank you for joining us

A reflection on what has been a successful year for the Community and a look at the year ahead.

Advisory Group Update

An update regarding the advisory group for the Entertainment, Sport and Media Community.

AI in entertainment, sport and media: hype, reality and what comes next

The ICAEW’s Entertainment, Sport and Media Community hosted a webinar for members exploring the evolving role of artificial intelligence across the creative industries.

The future of football and finance 2025 – available on demand

Earlier this year, the ICAEW Entertainment, Sport and Media Community hosted a landmark live event at Chartered Accountants’ Hall, bringing together experts from football, finance, government and Parliament to explore the future of football governance and financial sustainability. This is a reflection on the landmark football event.

AI in Entertainment, Sport, and Media: what it means for you

This webinar explored the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on financial operations across the entertainment, sport, and media sectors. Speakers shared insights into recent regulatory developments and practical applications of AI, highlighting key considerations for accountants working in or advising clients in these industries.

Hotel Sales – How to ensure an effective financial due diligence process

In an era of renewed investor confidence, the U.K. hotel sector has surged back to prominence—yet navigating the complexities of financial due diligence remains crucial for successful transactions.

The future of football and finance 2025

This webinar brings together key insights where the Future of Football was the topic of discussion. Our expert speakers explored major developments in the game — including football finance, club sustainability, the Football Governance Bill, fan-led reform, and plans for an independent regulator.

Entertainment, media and sport in 2025: key trends and challenges

Listen to our webinar to hear insights on 2024's strengths, 2025 projections, global trends in entertainment, sport, and media, and the key challenges.

Thank you for joining us

A reflection on what has been a successful year for the Community and a look at the year ahead.

How is your year going?

Sudheer Sharma, Chair of the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality (TTH) Community, reflects on the last 6 months of 2024, what the Community has achieved, what’s in store for the remainder of the year and plans for 2025.

How is your year going?

Jai Vora, Chair of the Entertainment, Sport & Media Community, reflects on the last 6 months of 2024, what the Community has achieved, what’s in store for the remainder of the year and plans for 2025.

VAT news

There have been a number of changes in the travel VAT world recently.

IHIF reflections

My immediate observations from IHIF 2024, which saw c2,500 industry professionals from across Europe (and wider) gather in a – rather chilly – Berlin to discuss the current mood, immediate outlook and longer term trends for the European Hotel investment and transactions market.

looking back and looking ahead

In this article Sudheer Sharma, chair of the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Community, reflects on a successful 2023 and outlines the Community plans for 2024.

Looking back and looking ahead

Council is the governing body of ICAEW and is comprised of around 90 members of which the majority are elected. 37 seats on Council will be available in the next elections for the Council term starting in June 2023.

National Minimum Wage – Top Tips in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector

Being found in breach of the Government’s National Minimum Wage (NMW) laws can be a financially and reputationally damaging time for any business.

VAT – Good news for serviced accommodation providers

Sonder Europe Ltd has won its case against HMRC at the First Tier VAT Tribunal. The decision was released Friday.

Custodianship of consumer monies and the fiduciary obligation via trustees

In this article we try and address some of the key concerns and it is accepted that there may be an impact on cashflow.

We all have a responsibility – racism and discrimination in sport, entertainment, and media

An article following the webinar discussion on racism and discrimination in sport, entertainment and media hosted by ICAEW.

Futureproofing the hospitality sector - Resilience First panel discussion summary

Resilience First brought together experts to discuss the major challenges facing the hospitality sector, two years on from the UK's first lockdown.

UAE and the steps to a green future: Working ahead towards COP28

The UAE and in particular, Dubai has come a long way from the Oil dependent economy that spurred trade in the 1960’s. There is an increased focus on climate change and government entities and corporate companies in the Emirate are upping the game by considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) benchmarks while making business and investment decisions.

The Travel and Tourism sector will face many HR challenges in the months to come

Stephanie Pote, Senior HR Consultant at MHA MacIntyre Hudson, considers the challenges that face the travel and tourisms sector as the country emerges from the the Coronavirus pandemic.

Introducing the new chair

This year sees the end of Nikki Spoor as chair of the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality advisory group and Tony Taccone taking over.

‘Flying is not the enemy, Carbon is’ - Recovery and Decarbonisation, the dual challenge facing airports

There is no question that the crisis unleashed by Covid-19 has hit the travel and tourism industries more than any other sector of the economy and the start of the recovery finds airports facing significant financial stress.

Covid-19 recovery and longer-term financial impacts on airports

It seems that we have embarked on the recovery from the pandemic, although we know that the road to full recovery (by which I mean a return to 2019 passenger levels to begin with), will be both long and uneven.

What Will Business Travel Look Like in The New Normal?

If there is a topic where the opinion was split right down the middle, it’s business travel.

Are retail spaces the next big thing for leisure and hospitality?

A trend over the last decade or more has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenge to retailers in the high street and shopping centres versus the boom in online shopping.

Moving Forward in uncertain times – Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Watch this webinar to hear Mazars provide sector updates and practical guidance for the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Community.

Ongoing challenges present sporadic opportunities

Public holidays are a boon for UAE hotel staycations. Local tourists require a sweetener in form of full board or reduced rates.

The Tour Operators Margin Scheme and Xero

Using the scheme can make recording entries in your accounting system slightly more complicated but it can be done. In this article Rebecca Bishop, TOMS Accountant explains how.

ATOL Reform Consultation – Future of Financial Protection

The pandemic has been like a wrecking ball to the travel industry and the road to recovery is littered with heavy debt, damaged brands, decimated workforce and will inevitably lead to changes in the travel regulatory regime.

Dubai continues to attract FDI by fully complying with ESR and AML regulations

Dubai continues to attract FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in all strategic sectors and was recently ranked 3rd after Singapore and London in the latest Global Cities of the Future list.

Have you thought about standing for the ICAEW Council?

Auditing standard changes and the impact on the sport, media and entertainment industry

In this webinar speakers Tom Wilson and Tom Stock from HaysmacIntyre LLP discuss going concern and Covid-19 - what we have learnt, good practices we have seen, and reverse stress testing. They also cover accounting estimates providing an introduction to the new standard, directors and auditors responsibilities, and examples from the sector. Finally, they look at ISA 700.

The Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme for VAT in 2021

Sue Rathmell, VAT Partner with MHA MacIntyre Hudson discusses the changes and their impact.

Theatre Tax Credits: An update

HMRC examines theatre tax credits with Jaivin Vora, Director of Creative Industries, Ernst and Young.

Redundancies in the Hospitality Sector

This webinar explored the immediate issues and potential issues relating to the furlough and job retention schemes and what this could potentially mean for businesses when redundancies become a necessity.

An update on VAT for travel and hospitality sector

This webinar explores the immediate issues and opportunities that the VAT reduction has on the hospitality and tourism sectors and what this could mean for businesses when the standard rate is reinstated.

ISA 600 (Revised) – A timely IAASB initiative for Financial Reporting in the Tourism Industry

With challenges come opportunities. Several regional airlines and hotel chains are backed by Sovereign Wealth Funds. It’s no surprise that they are keen to acquire trophy assets globally, whilst valuations are low.

The advantage of Trust ATOLs over Bonds and the fall out from Refunds

The COVID-19 crisis has inevitably shone light, yet again, on the regulation of travel and specifically how firms are required by law to protect customer money. This has led to much debate about trust accounts and increased interest in trusts from travel firms, regulators and financial institutions all looking to mitigate risk and repair damaged reputations.

Demystifying restructuring processes in retail and hospitality

This webinar looked at restructuring and administration processes commonly seen in the retail and hospitality sectors, and consider what businesses can do if they have concerns about their long-term viability or that of their key customers and suppliers.

Reach for the stars

Gareth Evans’ career has taken him from a Big Four firm in the UK to running an international airline in Australia

Why are fewer films being made in the UK?

With Avengers: Endgame topping the box office charts recently and setting the record for the highest-grossing film of all time (as well as many others), one question comes to mind: what’s happening with the British independent film market?

A day in the life: David Morris

David Morris shares how he went from a career in audit to conquering Everest

The poor old game

Professional boxing in Britain has been going through a golden era during the last decade - numerous world champions, record attendances, sold-out outdoor stadia and the continued growth of PPV as a vehicle for reaching home audiences.

Scalping the touts: new attempts to combat secondary ticketing losses

Secondary ticketing impacts hugely on both artists and fans. David Stead examines new ways to combat the problem, to give better value for fans.

Merchandising and film promotion – keep the faith

A recent application by a retro bag selling company from Manchester to register a trade mark based on the traditional Northern Soul logo and the words "Keep The Faith – Northern Soul" has been refused by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).