Distribución y Revenue Management

🏖 Ávoris, led by Juan Carlos González, aims to integrate 800 offices from Dit Gestión, pending approval from CNMC. Geomoon, under Ávoris, offers 'zero fee' to new agencies selling over €50,000 annually from Ávoris tour operators. Geomoon, with around 500 points of sale, promises to refund monthly fees of €50 if targets are met. Ávoris acquired Gea in July 2023, now has a total of approx. 1,200 agencies including Halcón Viajes, B travel, Viajes Ecuador, BCD Travel, and RACC Travel. Geomoon was launched in 2016 by the Hidalgos and acquired by Barceló in 2022.

🏖 DRV forecasts Germans will spend €85 billion on travel in 2025, a 6% increase from the previous year. Early booking offers are popular, especially among families during summer holidays. Combined travel packages account for 50% of Germany's tourist expenditure, preferred for their flexibility and legal protection. Germany has around 8,000 physical travel agencies offering personalized services complemented by online and mobile services. Peak booking season for summer vacations begins early in the year, with discounts valid until late March. Preferred destinations include Mediterranean beaches, ocean cruises, and warm winter spots like the Canary Islands and Egypt.

📈 During Donald Trump’s presidency (January 2017 - January 2021), the US saw a steady increase in foreign tourists, from 77.1 million in 2017 to 79.4 million in 2018, stabilizing in 2019. Hotel revenue in the US grew from $78.47 billion in 2017 to $87 billion in 2019. However, the pandemic in 2020 severely impacted tourism, leading to a $25 billion government rescue for US airlines. The US recorded 2,272 hotel construction projects in Q1 2024. Trump’s policies may affect tourism, with 7% of hospitality workers being undocumented immigrants and potential tariff hikes could increase travel costs and impact hotel development.

🚀 World2Meet (W2M) closed 2024 with an Ebitda of nearly €20 million, after achieving its first break-even in 2023. CEO Gabriel Subías forecasts a 2025 Ebitda of "between €25 and €30 million." W2M, owned by Iberostar, reached a record €2.753 billion in volume, a 27% increase from 2023, and aims to exceed €3 billion (€3.196 billion) in 2025. World2Fly hit one million passengers in 2024, with a 91% occupancy rate, exceeding the projected 658,000. The airline, with six aircraft, will add a seventh (A330) in March. Subías highlighted the integration of Azul Marino and Viajes Eroski and the digitalization project across the retail network, which has just under 200 points of sale.

🏠 On the eve of Fitur 2025, Hosteltur hosted the V Noche del Agente de Viajes at the Hotel Eurostars Madrid Tower, attended by 450 industry professionals. Since 2019, this event has become a networking occasion prior to FITUR. On January 21, sponsors awarded one of 8-10 selected travel agents per table and held gift raffles with a minimum value of €600. Overall, 34 brands recognized travel agencies for their contributions to Spanish tourism.

💰 SmartRental Group (SRG) closed 2024 with a record performance: revenues, RevPAR, and EBITDA grew by 44%, 30%, and 33% respectively from the previous year. They expanded into the UK with Malacuna brand and signed three assets there. New projects are underway in Portugal including Smartr Porto Bonfim and more in Lisbon and Oporto. In Spain, SRG launched seven new assets in 2024, and globally, negotiations are ongoing to include properties in Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. Two new brands were introduced: Evoca Living and Lemonade, with the latter's first asset in Santiago de Compostela nearing 1,000 rooms. SRG's portfolio now manages 4,373 rooms and 5,031 beds. For 2025, SRG forecasts a 27% growth in RevPAR and a 73% increase in EBITDA compared to 2024.

🏖️ Global tourism rebounded in 2024, reaching 1.4 billion international arrivals, 99% of the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019. The Middle East, Europe, and Africa led the recovery with numbers exceeding 2019 figures. An 11% increase from 2023 signaled 140 million more travelers. Revenue from international tourism saw a significant rise, with the UK, Spain, France, and Italy experiencing strong growth. Predictions for 2025 estimate a 3-5% growth in arrivals despite economic and geopolitical challenges.

📈 Alfonso Paredes of Expedia Group's B2B division announced at Hotusa Explora, chaired by Amancio López Seijas, optimistic forecasts for 2025 after a positive 2024, aiming for B2B to constitute 50% of the company in 2-3 years. Expedia exceeded 106 million overnight stays sold in 2023 by September 2024. In the B2B segment, Asia accounts for 35% of sales, with 81% of Asians considering travel, half eyeing Europe. In the US, 50% plan to travel, favoring the Caribbean and Europe. The strong dollar is expected to boost tourism. Expedia handles over 15 billion calls daily, incorporating AI and machine learning for decision-making, hotel selection, and fraud prevention—reducing fraud by $2 billion last year from the industry's $20 billion annual loss.

🏨 Hotel bookings in Spain are increasing due to early booking, with a market share exceeding 40% for three consecutive weeks. The demand is concentrated in the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Andalusia, which combined for almost 53% of the bookings through TravelgateX in the last week. Early bookings (over 90 days in advance) accounted for 41.2% of total bookings from January 13-19. The UK market saw a 9.4% decrease in bookings compared to the previous week. Peak early booking months are December, January, and February.

📅 Since November 15, Ávoris Corporación Empresarial has made 95% of its products available across all its tour operation brands, a milestone not achieved in previous years, as noted by commercial director Gustavo Serrano. This early availability allows travel agencies to offer options sooner, resulting in a significant increase in early bookings. Looking ahead to 2025, companies like Ávoris and World2Meet anticipate an even greater trend towards early bookings, as observed by World2Meet's Distribution Director Guillermo González. In response, Ávoris has moved up its entire product launch for 2025 to September 2024, boosting demand notably during the last part of the previous year, particularly with Black Friday sales. Spanish travelers are expected to continue this early booking trend into 2025. Soltour CEO Tomeu Bennasar confirms the positive trend, leading the company to increase capacity by 15% for Easter 2025 with diverse offerings.