Automatic

🏨 Early booking hotel reservations in Spain, managed through TravelgateX, made up 35% of the total reservations for the week of December 23-29, increasing from 29% and 26% in the prior two weeks. Since late September, these bookings have consistently exceeded 20%. Couples' reservations accounted for 58% of the total during the same period, up from 51% the previous week. Regional growth saw double-digit increases: Catalonia (+49.67%), Canaries (+24.96%), Andalusia (+42.17%), Madrid (+39.88%), Valencia (+63.53%), Balearic Islands (+43.69%), Galicia (+40.44%), Aragon (+21.11%), Castile and Leon (+14.18%), and the Basque Country (+51.76%).

🔎 Lufthansa, TUI, y Sixt están adoptando la blockchain Camino para transformar la distribución turística, enfocado en simplificar pagos y reservas y reducir intermediarios. Blockchain también ayuda a compañías como Bubyack en recompra de reservas no utilizadas y Avata en seguros de cancelación. El evento "Travel Un'chained 2024" destacó la adopción de Camino Messenger, que permite reservar y pagar automáticamente a través de una API única. Speakspots integra hoteles de Booking.com para itinerarios personalizados y opera en 30 países, duplicando usuarios mensualmente desde finales de 2023. Fitur Know-How 2024 enfatizó en inteligencia artificial y fondos europeos para la digitalización turística, con más de 40 empresas participantes.

🏖️ In Málaga, a report shows children's influence on family vacation decisions peaks during summer and Christmas, affecting half of the choices. Parents, especially mothers, decide the rest of the year. Andalucía is the top year-round family vacation destination, with 25.15% preference in spring and 26.1% in summer 2025. The demand for nature tourism (15.8%) and cultural experiences (13%) is on the rise. For 2025, over half (53%) of families intend to spend more on travel, favoring economic yet non-crowded destinations with personalized service. While 39% prefer mid-high range hotels, interest in campgrounds (15.63%) is rising, closely followed by rural houses (15.6%). Offers and discounts remain critical, scoring 4.36 on a 1-5 scale.

🏖 Líderes de cadenas hoteleras españolas apuntan a un turismo sostenible y regenerativo en 2024. Cataluña lideró en gasto turístico en 2023 con 20.878 millones de euros; Madrid tuvo el mayor gasto medio por turista con 1.705 euros. Turismo no residente en España generó 108.662 millones de euros, un 24,7% más que en 2022. Turoperadores alemanes incrementan reservas para España; FTI Group se declara en concurso de acreedores. Iberia renuncia a comprar Air Europa. Airbnb ve disminución del 83% en anuncios de estancias cortas en Nueva York tras nueva ley. Grupo Piñero y Hyatt Hotels forman alianza estratégica. Fallece Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, fundador de Meliá Hotels. Colapso del registro de datos de reservas de viajeros en España el 2 de diciembre.

🏖️ Hyatt and Grupo Piñero formed a joint venture, each holding a 50% stake, adding 22 resorts and 12,000 rooms to Hyatt's Inclusive Collection. Brands include 21 Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts across the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Spain, plus Cayo Levantado Resort in the Dominican Republic. Hyatt invested over €400M, earmarked for the renovation of Grupo Piñero's assets. Encarna Piñero, CEO of Grupo Piñero, will chair the joint venture, with Bahia Principe's CEO, Julio Pérez, leading it. Hyatt's VP of finance, Izet Mahalbasic, joins as CFO.

🏠 SLS Hotels & Residences, part of Ennismore, to open SLS Madrid Infantas Residences in 2025 with 33 luxury residences in a historic 1920s building. Unicorn Royal Emirates invested €40 million in an Estepona hotel, planning an additional €150 million investment for a summer 2027 completion. Higuerón Developments announced a €26 million Leiro Residences project. Caledonia to build the first St. Regis residences by Marriott in Spain for 2026 with 46 homes. Four Seasons opened a luxury hotel in Mallorca in summer and plans further branded residences. Banyan Tree's first Madrid project set for 24 premium homes. Rafa Nadal and Abel Matutes' company Palya Invest to invest €200 million in Costa del Sol luxury residences. Palladium Hotel Group to debut branded residences in the Middle East.