Distribución y Revenue Management

📝 Speakspots, leveraging AI, crafts personalized travel itineraries in under a minute, considering traveler preferences, budget, and dates, sent via WhatsApp. Its 50 algorithms perform over 150,000 calculations per itinerary, minimizing travel times and avoiding closed attractions or weather issues. From 2023, it also integrates Civitatis activities and Booking.com hotels for 30 countries across Europe, North America, and Latin America, offering real-time budget optimization for activities and accommodations. The startup, which began in 2019 and saw rapid growth by doubling users monthly from late 2023, now operates in seven languages across 120 destinations. Founder Andrés Martínez Artal, named in Forbes' top 100 creative professionals, aims for more personalized tourism.

🏨 In Spain, hotel room prices surged 8.1% year-on-year to €122.12 per night in June, following a 9.2% hike in May. Madrid led with a 22.3% price jump to €152.13 per night, marking a 33% increase since February, while occupancy rates also rose. The Balearic Islands followed with €140.52 per night, a 6.84% increase, and a record 9.5 million overnight stays. Catalonia's rates climbed 6.44% to €134.31 with 6.9 million stays. Five-star hotels saw the steepest rise of 9.1%, averaging €283 per night.

🚀 In 2023, Renfe led high-speed rail in Spain with a 55% market share in Madrid-Barcelona and Madrid-Valencia routes, down more than 10 points due to competitors Ouigo and Iryo. Iryo captured 20-25% market share, except in Madrid-Alicante (5%), while Ouigo held 18-23%. A 37% increase in passengers resulted in over 32.4 million travelers, with train mode share reaching 85% on average against planes, excluding Madrid-Málaga. Price drops of 24-28% impacted profitability, sparking price war criticisms from Renfe and Iryo towards Ouigo.

🛫 Ryanair won a legal case in the Regional Court of Berlin, Germany, against eDreams, which was found to have deceptive commercial practices, particularly regarding its "Flexfare" product. The Berlin court ruling follows a similar U.S. Delaware court victory for Ryanair against Booking.com, delivered less than a week prior. In Barcelona, hotel stays are up in the first half of 2024 compared to the previous year, yet tourism is among the top three concerns for residents as of June 2024, with many supporting the elimination of tourist apartments. Meliá Hotels International and Banca March, along with R2 Hoteles, are set to invest €26 million in tourism projects in Fuerteventura, which was approved by the Pájara municipality, aiming to boost economic growth and job creation.

💰 Travel prices from the Imserso program start at 124€ for 4-day stays in provincial capitals. 210€ for 8-day trips to the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and peninsular coast without transport. The same trip extended to 10 days costs 253€ without transport, ranging from 228€ to 290€ with transport. Cultural circuits are priced at 293€ for 6 days, while nature tourism and trips to Ceuta and Melilla are 286€ for 5 days. Prices may decrease for those with an income at or below non-contributory pension levels.

✈️ EasyJet anticipates a record summer and raises full-year forecasts, contrasting rivals like Ryanair, which cut expected profits by nearly half. In the third fiscal quarter ending June 30, EasyJet's pre-tax profit was £236 million, a 16% increase over the previous year. EasyJet Holidays' net profit for the quarter was £73 million, up from £49 million in the third quarter of 2023. EasyJet carried 25.3 million passengers, up 8%, with aircraft utilization rising to 90%. Revenues for the quarter grew by 11% to £2.631 billion, and ancillary services brought in £693 million. Fuel costs increased by 7% to £625 million. Bookings for the fourth quarter are up with 69% sold, 1% higher than the previous year. EasyJet's share price rose up to 9% after the announcement.

✈️ Aegean Airlines will launch its first-ever flights to Gran Canaria in 2025 as part of its international expansion, offering a new connection with Greece. Flights from Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Airport will begin in February with two weekly frequencies on Mondays and Thursdays. For the second half of 2024, 1,319,427 seats for July-September and 1,447,876 for October-December are offered. Hotel occupancy is at 86.62% for July-September, with a 6.5% increase in accommodated travelers and an 18% revenue increase in June compared to June 2023.

🏨 Independent hotels in Spain saw a 44% increase in average daily rate (ADR) to €147 during the second quarter of 2024, despite occupancy rates dropping from 55% to 41%. Analysis of 200 hotels showed a 7% rise in revenue per available room (RevPAR) from €57 in 2023 to €61 in 2024. On the May 1st holiday, ADR jumped from €113 in 2023 to €159 in 2024. Advanced hotel management systems with dynamic pricing are used to adjust rates in real-time.

📊 Grupo Hotusa, in its 47-year history, achieved a record Ebitda of €102 million in January-June, a 34% increase over its previous best in the first half of 2023. Revenue for the semester stood at €703 million, a 10% rise from €637 million in the same period of 2023, which itself marked a 37% increase from 2022. Expansion strategy, demand, and cost control contributed to these results. President Amancio López Seijas credits efficient management and sector performance for the success.

🏖️ Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International and president of Exceltur, addresses uncontrolled tourism housing growth, emphasizing the negative impact on quality of life and sustainability. Takyon, an Italian startup, launched a hotel room resale platform in Spain at the Phocuswright Europe 2024 convention in Barcelona, June. The Henley Passport Index, using IATA data, now ranks Spain second, with visa-free access to 192 destinations, while Singapore leads with 195 destinations.