Distribución y Revenue Management

🏨 In Spain, a decade of hotel industry milestones followed the institutionalization of property ownership. The shift came post-2008-2013 financial crisis, facilitated by investment vehicles like socimis. Key players included Hispana, HiPartners, Hiperion, Covivio, KKR, Portobello, Minor, Atom, Azora, Brookfield, Cerberus, Angelo Gordon, Stoneweg, Fortress, Fattal, Redevco, Sixth Street, Castlelake, ADIA, and GIC.

💾 QuoHotel highlights the benefits of digital transformation in the hotel industry, focusing on reduced operational costs, real-time data for decision-making, guest management, sustainability, process automation, and improved employee mobility. The guide covers key sectors including General Management, Operations, IT, and Finance, emphasizing integrated information flow, cost optimization, revenue management, and compliance. The digital shift enhances customer experiences and ensures long-term competitiveness.

🏠 Over 10% of companies use AI in daily operations, notably in the tourism industry. AI enables personalized travel offers, analyzing demographics, travel preferences, and booking histories. Through Big Data, it identifies tourist behavior patterns, aiding marketing strategies. For example, Riu hotel chain's chatbot, assisting with reservations, has a 73% completion rate by users initiating availability checks. A 3-star hotel in central Granada also employs AI for voice-activated or iPad-controlled room automation and features smart mirrors.

🛍 Black Friday on November 29 will see half of Spain's accommodations offering promotions with an average discount of around 30%. eBooking.com predicts a 40% surge in lodging reservations during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Spanish consumers are expected to spend an average of 242 euros, with 27% planning to buy spa experiences and 26% opting for getaways. Skyscanner suggests users start price research and sign up for hotel loyalty programs and newsletters for additional discounts.

🏖️ Booking.com lists five unique accommodations across Latin America for long-haul travelers seeking extraordinary experiences. Featured are Lago Valle Wine Glamping in Mexico's Valle de Guadalupe, Lumbre Glamorous Camping in Colombia's Cocora Valley, Starlodge Adventure Suites in Peru's Urubamba, Grand Amazon Expedition's hotel-boat in Brazil navigating the Solimões and Negro rivers, and Priestine Luxury Camp in Argentina's Salinas Grandes, a 12,000-hectare salt desert. These accommodations offer amenities like king-size beds, internet, and private bathrooms, plus activities ranging from wine tastings and hot air balloon flights to zip-lining and eco-trail excursions.

🛫 Jet2, born in Leeds, successfully expanded across the north of the UK and into London, competing at Ryanair's main base. Recently, it announced a new base at Luton Airport, set to open with 17 routes, including 9 to Spain, starting with Mallorca via new A321s. This marks Jet2's 13th base, joining others like Bournemouth and Bristol. At Luton, Jet2 will offer 36 weekly flights to 17 European destinations, with routes to Italy, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, and Spain, commencing in March.

☀ Travel agency Rumbo lists 10 warm destinations for December getaways, highlighting places with pleasant weather and cultural experiences. The Maldives offer clear skies and warm temperatures, perfect for beach relaxation and water activities. The Canary Islands provide outdoor events and sand nativity scenes. Seychelles boast luxury and intact nature, with vibrant local celebrations. Madagascar features unique fauna and pre-rainy season warmth. Sydney celebrates Christmas with summer vibes and cultural events. Douz, Tunisia, hosts the International Sahara Festival. Rio de Janeiro’s New Year’s celebrations draw thousands to Copacabana Beach. Varadero, Cuba, engages in traditional year-end festivities. Miami's South Beach offers luxury and festive events, while Los Cabos, Mexico, combines luxury with nature, welcoming whales and offering Mexican holiday traditions.

🇩🇪 David Collado, the Minister of Tourism for the Dominican Republic, highlighted Spain as the top European source of visitors with 251,730 in 2023, and Madrid's airport as the seventh worldwide for funneling 358,313 tourists. Spanish travelers are 52% female, 60% average age of 36, 57% travel for leisure, 51% stay in hotels, and over 50% booked through travel agencies last year. In 2024, 73% of Spanish tourists planned trips 1-7 months in advance. The Dominican Republic aims to attract more Spanish travelers, recently presenting to over 250 Spanish travel operators. The "DO Travel Rewards" loyalty program was launched in August 2023 to incentivize travel agents globally.

✈ Iberia delays its return to Israel until at least February 1, 2025, due to escalating conflicts in the Middle East. The airline, part of IAG, will refund customers or offer vouchers and changes in dates or destinations. Air Europa had also planned to resume flights on October 21 but suspended them until at least November 30 following several days of operations.

📌 Javier Delgado joined Mirai as Co Managing Partner & CEO EMEA in 2021 after seven years at Google Spain as head of travel and three years at Iberostar Hotels & Resorts leading technology and commercial areas. Mirai, established in 1991, began operating in digital hotel distribution in 1995, aiming to connect hotels with early internet users. Mirai was transacting online hotel bookings with credit card payments as early as 1998, predating Google's 1998 founding. With a history spanning three decades, Mirai boasts 4,000 hotel partners across 53 countries, served by over 300 staff across 12 offices. The company focuses on empowering hotels with technology and expertise to optimize profitability and autonomy. Mirai's team, based in Madrid, is described as passionately analytical, combining proprietary technology with a service-oriented approach, differentiating itself by contributing knowledge and solutions to the hotel industry's challenges.