Juan Mestre

🏨 Gabriel Escarrer, presidente ejecutivo de Meliá, ha nombrado un vicepresidente ejecutivo en América para impulsar el crecimiento de la cadena hotelera en la región. El nuevo cargo colaborará con Bernat Cabot, vicepresidente de expansión, quien posee experiencia en Asia. El anuncio fue adelantado por 'Desarrollo' un martes sin especificar la fecha.

🏨 Javier Vich, a hotelier managing Summum, a 14-hotel chain associated with Meliá, recently took over as president of the Mallorca Hotel Association. Despite rejecting the Balearic eco-tax increase for tourists, he asserts it won't impact the upcoming tourist season. Vich witnessed a minor slowdown in early bookings, especially from the UK market, at Fitur but remains unperturbed. He advocates for the current hotel pricing in Mallorca, citing a significant transformation in the sector over the past 10-12 years with diverse offerings for all budgets. Mallorca now attracts luxury tourism that wasn't present before, and Vich stresses the subjectivity of pricing debates, emphasizing quality and service. The hotel industry is ready to adjust to demand fluctuations, with no observed downturn necessitating price reductions. Vich also addresses the challenge of illegal vacation rentals and emphasizes the importance of addressing broader issues like housing and mobility that indirectly affect the tourism industry. He acknowledges competition from emerging destinations like Turkey and Albania, stressing the importance of maintaining safety as a key factor for success in the upcoming season. Finally, he contextualizes the issue of 'tourism-phobia' in Mallorca as a minority-driven phenomenon, exacerbated by infrastructural and housing deficiencies.

🏨 Riu announces internal changes involving a new generation, with the family's fourth generation taking on key executive roles to strengthen the company's over 70-year history. Luis Riu remains CEO, overseeing expansion, construction, and product design. Roberto Riu Rodríguez joins as Executive Director, handling Commercial and Marketing. Naomi Riu Rodríguez, the CFO, adds EMEA Purchases and CSR to her duties and oversees Operations in the Indian Ocean region and Riu Plaza hotels in Madrid, London, and Dublin. Luis Riu Rodríguez becomes Executive Director for Operations in the Atlantic zone and SAT engineering and maintenance. Lola Trian Riu shifts focus to manage family philanthropic funds, including the Joan Riu Foundation. Joan Trian Riu, as Executive Director, covers Operations in America and Riu Plaza hotels in the USA, Toronto, Guadalajara, Panama, and Berlin, maintaining his institutional representation of the company.