Accessibility helpSkip to navigationSkip to contentSkip to footer

Cookies on FT Sites

We use cookies and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, personalising content and ads, providing social media features and to analyse how our Sites are used.

Accept cookies
Manage cookies
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
Open side navigation menuOpen search bar
Financial Times
SubscribeSign InmyFT
  • Home
  • World
    Sections
    • World Home
    • Global Economy
    • UK
    • US
    • China
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Emerging Markets
    • Europe
    • War in Ukraine
    • Americas
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • Australia & NZ
    Most Read
    • Donald Trump committed ‘repeated’ fraud by inflating real estate value, New York judge rules
    • Chinese TV presenter linked to missing foreign minister had surrogate child in US
    • German far-right party surges on immigrant ‘dystopia’
    • Nikki Haley seeks breakout moment in second Republican debate
    • North Korea returns detained US soldier Travis King
  • US
    Sections
    • US Home
    • US Economy
    • US Companies
    • US Politics & Policy
    Most Read
    • Companies
      Sections
      • Companies Home
      • Energy
      • Financials
      • Health
      • Industrials
      • Media
      • Professional Services
      • Retail & Consumer
      • Tech Sector
      • Telecoms
      • Transport
      Most Read
      • Meta pays £149mn to break London office lease
      • McKinsey pays out another $230mn to settle opioid cases
      • PwC Australia’s culture attacked in tax leak scandal report
      • Jailed oligarch accuses TPG of colluding with Kremlin to seize $14bn assets
      • Australian vineyards struggle to stay afloat amid wine glut
    • Tech
    • Markets
      Sections
      • Markets Home
      • Alphaville
      • Markets Data
      • Cryptofinance
      • Capital Markets
      • Commodities
      • Currencies
      • Equities
      • Fund Management
      • Trading
      • Moral Money
      • ETF Hub
      Most Read
      • UK regulator to launch review of private market valuations
      • Live news: Bank of America chief predicts a soft landing for US economy
      • The debt-fuelled bet on US Treasuries that’s scaring regulators
      • What ‘peak oil’ will mean for China
      • Crude climbs above $96 a barrel on US stockpiles concern
    • Climate
    • Opinion
      Sections
      • Opinion Home
      • Columnists
      • The FT View
      • Lex
      • Obituaries
      • Letters
      Most Read
      • What the world should expect from a second Trump term
      • How China can avoid the Japan trap
      • Rishi Sunak’s new strategy exposes 13 years of Tory failure
      • JPMorgan’s decision to settle over Epstein was a long time coming
      • High-speed trains and the crashing of Britain’s credibility
    • Work & Careers
      Sections
      • Work & Careers Home
      • Business School Rankings
      • Business Education
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Recruitment
      • Business Books
      • Business Travel
      Most Read
      • Success is more complicated than one exceptional individual
      • Paternity leave in finance: ‘The more men do it, the less of a big deal it becomes’
      • The activist sued by Elon Musk: ‘We have to show we will not be cowed’
      • What Burberry taught me about the marketed mind
    • Life & Arts
      Sections
      • Life & Arts Home
      • Arts
      • Books
      • Food & Drink
      • FT Magazine
      • House & Home
      • Style
      • Travel
      • FT Globetrotter
      Most Read
      • Why Linda Yaccarino took on the wildest job in Silicon Valley
      • Horizon 22 trumps the Shard to become London’s highest viewpoint (and it’s free)
      • On the ranch with Ralph Lauren
      • Wine’s war on terroir
      • When an auction hunter becomes an auction seller
    • HTSI
    MenuSearch
    • Home
    • World
    • US
    • Companies
    • Tech
    • Markets
    • Climate
    • Opinion
    • Work & Careers
    • Life & Arts
    • HTSI
    Financial Times
    SubscribeSign In

    Oliver Barnes

    Leisure Industries Correspondent

    Oliver Barnes is the FT’s leisure industries correspondent based in London. He covers hospitality, gambling, tourism, tobacco and cannabis companies. Oliver previously covered health and science for the FT. He was awarded a journalism prize by the Royal Statistical Society for his coverage of the pandemic.

    Before joining the FT, he worked for BBC News, writing articles for Reality Check, the fact-checking arm of the BBC, and reporting for radio outlets including Radio 4 and the World Service.

    Email Oliver Barnes @mroliverbarnes  on Twitter (link opens in a new browser window)

    Add to myFT Digest

    Add this topic to your myFT Digest for news straight to your inbox

    • Monday, 25 September, 2023
      Entain PLC
      Entain warns of decline in online gaming revenues

      Shares in owner of Ladbrokes and Coral tumble as it blames slowdown in part on UK government reforms

      A Ladbrokes betting shop in east London
    • Monday, 25 September, 2023
      FT News Briefing podcast10 min listen
      Poland’s complicated relationship with Ukraine

      The FT has found that Russia has succeeded in avoiding G7 sanctions on most of its oil exports

    • Friday, 22 September, 2023
      UK politics
      Sunak considers move to ban smoking for next generation

      Prime minister’s latest effort to tackle falling ratings could trigger party backlash

      Cigarette in ashtray
    • Thursday, 21 September, 2023
      Travel & leisure industry
      Europe’s largest cruise company pushes for change to emissions rules

      MSC Cruises draws ire of environmentalists as it calls for rethink on how passenger ships are assessed by UN shipping regulator

      Pierfrancesco Vago
    • Monday, 18 September, 2023
      Private equity
      Big Mamma restaurant group sells majority stake to private equity

      Deal with McWin values French-owned Italian company at €270mn

      Big Mamma’s Circolo Popolare in London
    • Friday, 15 September, 2023
      The Big Read
      The rise of surge pricing: ‘It will eventually be everywhere’

      Powered by algorithms and AI, a growing number of consumer industries are adjusting prices in response to supply and demand

    • Wednesday, 13 September, 2023
      Chick-fil-A Inc
      Chick-fil-A to make second attempt at UK launch after previous gay rights backlash

      US fast-food chain closed initial store in 2019 following protests by campaigners

      Signs for Chick-fil-A above a restaurant in Midtown, New York
    • Tuesday, 12 September, 2023
      Food & Beverage
      Slug and Lettuce owner draws backlash over ‘dynamic’ beer pricing

      UK’s biggest pub company to charge more for pints during peak hours to offset high costs

      People having a drink outside a branch of Slug and Lettuce in London
    • Sunday, 10 September, 2023
      The Restaurant Group PLC
      TRG in ‘advanced’ talks about Frankie & Benny’s sale

      Management will hope to quiet activist investors critical of group’s languishing share price

      Exterior of a Frankie and Benny’s restaurant
    • Friday, 8 September, 2023
      The Restaurant Group PLC
      Chair of Wagamama owner to step down as activist pressure continues

      The Restaurant Group says Ken Hanna’s decision to leave was due to ‘personal reasons’

    • Thursday, 7 September, 2023
      Travel
      No phone, no food — the wild rise of the survival holiday

      Why growing numbers of holidaymakers are paying to be cast away with nothing more than a machete

      A smiling woman crouches on the ground, holding a burning stick of wood
    • Thursday, 7 September, 2023
      British American Tobacco PLC
      BAT sells Russian business to local management

      Group becomes latest company to part ways with country following its invasion of Ukraine

      A picture showing someone smoking in from of the BAT logo
    • Wednesday, 6 September, 2023
      The Restaurant Group PLC
      Wagamama owner TRG defies casual-dining sector gloom

      Group raises full-year earnings expectations despite pressure on consumer incomes

      People sit in a Wagamama restaurant in London
    • Tuesday, 5 September, 2023
      Scottish politics
      Scotland’s first minister to boost welfare spending by £1bn

      Increase in social security budget to £6.3bn comes as SNP’s Yousaf seeks to outflank a resurgent Labour party

      Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister
    • Tuesday, 5 September, 2023
      News in-depthTravel & leisure industry
      Europe’s tourist surge defies cost of living crisis

      US visitor influx helps region enjoy best summer season since before pandemic

      A woman takes a selfie on her phone while tourist pass either side of her. Columns of the Acropolis are to the left and right
    • Monday, 4 September, 2023
      UK economy
      UK wages: which sectors are driving up pay?

      Britain could see interest rates rise further as pay growth remains high

      montage of a worker in front of a graphic
    • Saturday, 19 August, 2023
      Confederation of British Industry
      Companies seek to spin off diversity campaign from crisis-hit CBI

      Move aims to insulate Change the Race Ratio from lobby group’s struggle for survival

    • Friday, 18 August, 2023
      News in-depthTravel & leisure industry
      Hoteliers take to high seas and railroads in hunt for ultra-luxury travellers

      Groups including Accor and Marriott launch vessels and opulent trains as sector booms

      The Orient Express’s La Dolce Vita suite
    • Friday, 18 August, 2023
      Football
      Cornwall council to allow pubs to open early for World Cup final

      Move by local authority follows request from UK government to fast-track licensing extensions

      England celebrate their second semi-final goal against hosts Australia
    • Friday, 18 August, 2023
      Soho House Ltd
      Soho House teams up with Michael Milken to bring The Ned to Washington

      London-based group partners with ‘junk bond king’ on club adjacent to the White House

      Rendering of Ned’s Club Washington DC
    • Wednesday, 16 August, 2023
      Jamie Oliver
      Jamie Oliver to steer clear of challenging mid-market in London return

      Celebrity chef to launch upmarket restaurant four years after collapse of Italian chain

      A Jamie’s Italian eaterie
    • Friday, 11 August, 2023
      Travel & leisure industry
      Owner of UK holiday resorts Center Parcs races to seal sale

      Advisers to Brookfield try to fashion consortium from remaining bidders

    • Thursday, 10 August, 2023
      Entain PLC
      Ladbrokes owner Entain puts aside £585mn to settle bribery probe

      Group close to deal with UK authorities to resolve alleged bribery offences at former Turkish subsidiary

      The inside of a deserted Ladbrokes betting shop
    • Thursday, 10 August, 2023
      The Big Read
      The dark side of the US sports betting boom

      Americans have bet $245bn on sporting events since restrictions were loosened in 2018. But many fear a surge in gambling addiction is coming

      A person with their face in shadow sits hunched over against a background of sports betting sites logos
    • Saturday, 5 August, 2023
      News in-depthTurkey
      Cheap deals and weak lira boost Turkey’s tourist appeal

      Visitor numbers rising but those in the sector say cost of living crisis means travellers are spending less once they arrive

      Holidaymakers watch each other jump from rocks into the sea in Antalya, Turkey
    Previous page You are on page 1 Next page

    Useful links

    Support

    View Site TipsHelp CentreContact UsAbout UsAccessibilitymyFT TourCareers

    Legal & Privacy

    Terms & ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookiesCopyrightSlavery Statement & Policies

    Services

    Share News Tips SecurelyIndividual SubscriptionsProfessional SubscriptionsRepublishingExecutive Job SearchAdvertise with the FTFollow the FT on XFT ChannelsFT Schools

    Tools

    PortfolioToday’s Newspaper (FT Digital Edition)Alerts HubBusiness School RankingsEnterprise ToolsNews feedNewslettersCurrency Converter

    Community & Events

    FT CommunityFT Live EventsFT ForumsFT Board DirectorBoard Director Programme

    More from the FT Group

    Markets data delayed by at least 15 minutes. © THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD 2023. FT and ‘Financial Times’ are trademarks of The Financial Times Ltd.
    The Financial Times and its journalism are subject to a self-regulation regime under the FT Editorial Code of Practice.
    Financial Times

    International Edition

    Subscribe for full access
    • Switch to UK Edition

    Top sections

    • Home
    • World
      • Global Economy
      • UK
      • US
      • China
      • Africa
      • Asia Pacific
      • Emerging Markets
      • Europe
      • War in Ukraine
      • Americas
      • Middle East & North Africa
      • Australia & NZ
    • US
      • US Economy
      • US Companies
      • US Politics & Policy
    • Companies
      • Energy
      • Financials
      • Health
      • Industrials
      • Media
      • Professional Services
      • Retail & Consumer
      • Tech Sector
      • Telecoms
      • Transport
    • Tech
    • Markets
      • Alphaville
      • Markets Data
      • Cryptofinance
      • Capital Markets
      • Commodities
      • Currencies
      • Equities
      • Fund Management
      • Trading
      • Moral Money
      • ETF Hub
    • Climate
    • Opinion
      • Columnists
      • The FT View
      • Lex
      • Obituaries
      • Letters
    • Work & Careers
      • Business School Rankings
      • Business Education
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Recruitment
      • Business Books
      • Business Travel
    • Life & Arts
      • Arts
      • Books
      • Food & Drink
      • FT Magazine
      • House & Home
      • Style
      • Travel
      • FT Globetrotter
    • Personal Finance
      • Property & Mortgages
      • Investments
      • Pensions
      • Tax
      • Banking & Savings
      • Advice & Comment
      • Next Act
    • HTSI
    • Special Reports

    FT recommends

    • Lex
    • Alphaville
    • Lunch with the FT
    • FT Globetrotter
    • #techAsia
    • Moral Money
    • Visual and data journalism
    • Newsletters
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • News feed
    • FT Live Events
    • FT Forums
    • Board Director Programme
    • myFT
    • Portfolio
    • Today’s Newspaper (FT Digital Edition)
    • Crossword
    • Our Apps
    • Help Centre
    • Subscribe
    • Sign In