Distribución y Revenue Management

💰 Viajes El Corte Inglés launches "Jóvenes +60" campaign targeting travelers over 60 years, competing with Imserso. Offers include domestic coastal and inland destinations in Spain, such as Costa del Sol, Costa Brava, Cádiz, Huelva, Almería, Canary and Balearic Islands. International options span Portugal, Italy, France, Norway, Egypt's Nile cruises, Canada, and America's east coast, plus Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises. Promotion valid until April 6, 2025, for travel between May 5 and October 15, 2025, features up to €500 in digital vouchers, 10% discounts, and payment facilities.

🚀 Hotels and airlines adapt prices according to customer payment capabilities. Clients from wealthier countries use VPNs to simulate connections from different locations for lower prices. In the U.S., customers from high-income areas like Silicon Valley encountered prices 71% higher than those in Phoenix, Arizona, as stated by computer magazine specialist Sam Singleton of PCWorld. Northern European airlines offer cheaper flights for Spanish customers, while some Spanish airlines provide lower business class fares for flights booked in Tunisia or through a Tunisian IP than from France or most European countries.

🏠 Castilla Termal closed 2024 with record occupation and turnover: a 17% increase in occupation across five establishments to an average of 60%, with a peak of 73% at Castilla Termal Burgo de Osma, and a 26% increase in turnover reaching €38 million, marking a 60% rise in the past six years. In September 2023, Castilla Termal Brihuega, their second 5-star hotel, opened in Brihuega (Guadalajara), boosting the staff by 12% to over 400 employees. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, Castilla Termal is opening its third 5-star hotel, Castilla Termal Palacio de Avellaneda in Peñaranda de Duero (Burgos), and is implementing AI in operations in partnership with Founderz.

📌 CEAV President Carlos Garrido reports positive growth in travel agencies despite market concentration. Recent actions against Real Decreto 933/2021 include a non-binding motion for repeal passed by the Senate on February 10 and ongoing discussions with government representatives. Agencies struggle with SES Hospedajes technical issues while attempting to comply with the new decree. Despite industry consolidation, new agencies are opening, with over 67,000 workers in the sector as of last May. CEAV's training programs aim to retain talent amidst staff shortages. 2024 closed with €30 billion in revenue, a 10% increase from 2023, and a moderate growth forecast of 5% for 2025. CEAV continues to strive for sector unity and address agencies' challenges.

📌 The hotel distribution sector is adopting Attribute-Based Selling (ABS), a transformative approach that allows customers to select specific features instead of just a hotel. This personalization requires integration at various levels, including Property Management Systems (PMS), Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), and booking engine companies. ABS dissects hotel services into numerous smaller units, priced separately, creating a unique travel experience. This model demands standardization of attribute codes, like those by OpenTravel Alliance, and consistent attribute updates by hotels. The airline industry has successfully used ABS for over a decade, leading to significant revenue growth from ancillary services, suggesting a promising future for ABS in hospitality.

📌 En 2023, el 36% de las reservas de hotel se hicieron por OTA, frente al 21% a través del IBE de los hoteles. Los hoteleros buscan equilibrar las reservas con dos tercios de canales directos. Expedia y Booking Holdings gastaron alrededor de $6,900 y $6,800 millones en marketing respectivamente en 2023. Las OTA se beneficiarán de la nueva legislación de la DMA en Europa y, según estudios, el 70% de los viajeros prefieren reservar por OTA si el precio es igual. Sin embargo, se espera que las reservas directas de hotel aumenten, mientras los hoteles invierten en tecnología y estrategias de marketing para mejorar la rentabilidad y la fidelidad del cliente.

📍 Travel agencies are reporting a significant rise in ADM charges by airlines, causing economic losses. The CNMC's multi-million fine against Booking has been suspended by the National Court, with Booking required to present a bank guarantee within two months. Spanish coastal hotels expect to approach full capacity during Easter week (April 13-20), with high demand in Andalusia and increasing bookings in the Balearic Islands and Valencia compared to last year.

🏨 An omnichannel strategy for hotels integrates all physical and digital communication and sales channels for a seamless guest experience, contrasting traditional independent contact points. It relies on PMS integrations to connect management systems with booking, marketing, and customer service tools. This strategy allows guests to start their experience on one channel and continue on others without losing consistency. It enhances guest convenience and personalization, optimizes operational efficiency, and increases loyalty and profitability. Implementing an effective omnichannel strategy requires understanding customer interaction habits, integrating the right technological tools, setting clear goals, maintaining communication consistency, combining automation with personalization, and continuously monitoring and optimizing the strategy.

🏖 The Castilla-La Mancha Senior Tourism Program, "El Mundo a tu alcance," offers over 1,800 excursions, including 93 national routes, 177 international routes, and 13 cruises (maritime and river). Destinations range from local regions like Mariña Lucense and Algarve to international locations such as Hungary, Canada, and Thailand, with prices from €370 to around €2,000 per person. Agencies like B The Travel, Viajes Cibeles, and Viajes El Corte Inglés provide a variety of travel options. Reservations can be made online or through various agencies, with discounts for early booking and full payment required 45 or 35 days before international and national trips, respectively. This initiative also includes a pilot social tourism project for individuals with intellectual disabilities starting in April and May.

🏖 Semana Santa 2025 in Spain (April 13-20) sees hotels, especially on coasts and islands, nearing full capacity with bookings surging in the past week. Couples lead demand, with the family segment lagging. Andalucía tops hotel bookings with 17.76%, followed by Catalonia (17.23%), Canary Islands (14.96%), Balearic Islands (14.26%), and Valencia Community (11.52%). Last-minute reservations for the holiday season show 12% for 15-30 days and 17% for 31-60 days in advance. Early bookings for summer, from March 10-16, accounted for 31% of total reservations on Travelgate, staying above 20% since late September.