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Alex Cuenca

1326 posts
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“Barcelona se convertirá con la tasa turística en el destino más caro de Europa”

🏖 Barcelona's tourism sector condemns the hike in the tourist tax as agreed by the Mayor's office, Generalitat, and partners. Luxury hotels could face a tax of €15 per night, 5-star hotels €7, 4-star hotels €3.40, and tourist homes €4.50. The increase could harm competitiveness, particularly in the MICE sector and family tourism. Criticism arises over 25% of tax proceeds being allocated to housing policies rather than tourism promotion, suggesting tourism is wrongly blamed for housing issues. The tax was initially intended for Barcelona's promotion and infrastructure improvement.
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Los aranceles de Trump van a frenar la venta de Air Europa

✈ The Hidalgo family, owning 80% of Air Europa, faces lower-than-expected offers from Lufthansa and Air France-KLM due to the sector's stock market impact. Lufthansa's offer fell below €240 million, critical to offset a €475 million loan from SEPI during the pandemic. Air France-KLM initially proposed €300 million for a 51% stake, then lowered the bid after the Hidalgos' refusal to lose majority control. IAG, with a 20% stake via Iberia, has lost 36% in stock value since late February, complicating capital increase pricing. The Hidalgos seek to close the deal by summer and have consulted SEPI about the offers, essential for repaying the €475 million loan. Despite market concerns, Air Europa boasts strong recent results and demand, with promising summer prospects.
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El “puente aéreo” exprés de Ryanair de 12 minutos en el norte de España

✈ Two Ryanair planes landed on Monday morning at Bilbao Airport after being diverted from Santander due to fog, completing the flight in just 12 minutes, described as an unprecedented "express air bridge." Ryanair ceased regular operations at Bilbao in 2013, briefly resumed a route to London in 2018, and currently operates from other airports in the Basque Country, which made the diversion to Bilbao instead of alternative bases like Vitoria-Gasteiz unexpected.
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Baleares rescata miles de plazas turísticas que fueron dadas de baja

🏖️ Govern balear will pass a decree on Friday preventing the creation of new tourist rental spaces in multi-family buildings throughout the archipelago. Marga Prohens announced the measure in October, aiming to regulate tourism in high-pressure areas. It won't affect semi-detached houses, paired homes, or rooms rented in the host's main residence. The decree will also unlock about 90,000 old tourist places previously irregular and non-reusable under the old law. Two temporary pools of tourist places per island will be created for hotels and holiday rentals, valid until each insular council determines its tourist carrying capacity, with no initial deadline of 2026. New establishments can buy tourist places without the former two-for-one penalty. Hoteliers criticize these measures as insufficient, with some preferring a model like Catalonia's, where tourist places expire with activity permits.
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Ingleses y alemanes invaden Benidorm: así lucen sus terrazas en pleno abril

🏖 Tourists are flocking to Benidorm, with streets filling up as summer approaches. Key markets include the UK and Germany. YouTube's "Benidorm Now" shows busy restaurant areas, and Benidorm's traditional market, open Wednesdays and Sundays, is even busier in the afternoons. For Easter Week, Hosbec forecasts an occupancy rate of 78.3% from April 11 to 21, peaking at 81.4% between Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday.
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Canarias: acusan a las aerolíneas de hacer desaparecer el descuento de residente

🛫 Residents in the Canary Islands struggle with buying discounted flight tickets, facing system issues like disappearing flights or inactive discount options, particularly around Easter or early May holidays. Some pay over €600 without the 75% resident discount. Airlines blame technical glitches and recommend using the Spanish website version, yet problems persist. As of January 2025, airlines claim the government owes €810 million in promised discount funds.
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Pullazo de Simón Pedro Barceló al presidente de la Junta

🚧 Simón Pedro Barceló, co-president of the Barceló Group, criticized the political authorities for their lack of involvement and understanding of the tourism sector, which he believes fuels anti-tourism rhetoric. In an interview with ABC, he mentioned the absence of references to tourism by the president of Andalusia's government, despite it being the region’s top economic activity and job creator. He also criticized the proposed increase of the ecotax by the PP government in the Balearics and rejected the responsibility of hotels to gather and provide private client data as mandated by Minister Marlaska's 'Gran Hermano' tourist initiative, stating no link between hotel stays and terrorism worldwide. Additionally, he linked the illegal vacation rental market to the housing crisis and the problematic insertion of tourism into residential areas.
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Hotusa amortiza otros 20 millones del rescate de la SEPI

💰 Grupo Hotusa repaid €20.5 million early to the Solvency Support Fund for Strategic Companies (FASEE), managed by SEPI, including interest. The hotel company has now returned €128.5 million of the €241 million pandemic aid received. Their latest repayment increases FASEE's recovered funds to €745 million, 27.7% of the €2.681 billion allocated to strategic companies. Other tourism firms with outstanding SEPI debt include Air Europa, Plus Ultra, and Air Nostrum, among others.
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Trump se arriesga a un boicot turístico por su guerra arancelaria

💰 Donald Trump's tariff policy may adversely affect the U.S. economy, particularly tourism with 72.3 million visitors in 2024 and €175 billion in revenue. Following a tariff announcement on Canada, road trips from Canada dropped 24% in February compared to the previous year. The U.S. has seen a 25% surcharge on most exports from Canada and Mexico, contributing over 50% of U.S. visitors last year. China, with 1.62 million visitors and a 50% growth, faces a 34% tariff. India's visits to the U.S., which increased by 24.3% in 2024, and European countries like Germany and France, with 1.99 and 1.70 million travelers respectively, face a 20% tariff. The UK, with 4.03 million tourists to the U.S., faces only a 10% tariff and thus far refrains from retaliation.
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