Distribución y Revenue Management

🚀 Viajes El Corte Inglés reported a 6.1% sales increase in the first fiscal semester up to August, following a successful 2023 with historic high revenues of €3.306 billion, a 12.6% rise from 2022. The travel sector's vacation segment saw a revenue increase above 10%. The parent company El Corte Inglés achieved a total revenue of €8.041 billion and a net profit of €203 million (+11%) for the first half of fiscal 2024-2025. Ebitda grew to €520 million, while net financial debt decreased to €1.933 billion, 1.7 times the Ebitda, with a €195 million reduction since August 2023.

🏨 Club Mac, a family tourism hotel with 1024 rooms, partnered with Mirai a decade ago to enhance direct sales in a tour operator-dominated market. By 2013, direct sales accounted for 6% of total sales, doubling year-on-year room nights. By the end of 2023, direct sales surged to 36% of revenue, lowering commission costs to 3.6%, and web became the main sales channel. Innovations include a loyalty program, upselling module, and reservation saver, positioning Club Mac and Mirai as industry innovators.

🏨 La inteligencia artificial (IA) en la hotelería proporciona recomendaciones personalizadas, check-ins automatizados y asistencia virtual 24/7, mejorando la experiencia del huésped y la eficiencia operativa. OTA Sync ofrece un chatbot de IA con soporte 24/7 y estará en IBTM World Barcelona del 19 al 21 de noviembre, Stand P37, ofreciendo hasta 1.000 € en créditos y un evento de networking el 20 de noviembre. Regístrate para el evento en el enlace proporcionado.

💰 Amadeus reported double-digit growth in financial results for the first nine months of 2024, with revenue up by 12.6%, EBITDA increasing 13.3%, operating profit rising 16.9%, and adjusted profit improving by 17.4%. The company generated a free cash flow of €975.2 million and had a net financial debt of €2.511 billion, which is 1.09 times the EBITDA of the last twelve months. Revenue in the Airport sector grew, as did Hotel and Other Solutions revenue by 12.9%, driven by new clients and transaction volume. Air Distribution revenue increased by 10%, with bookings up 3.4% and average revenue per booking up 6.4%. Airline Technology Solutions revenue grew by 16.2%, with a 12% increase in passengers boarded.

🏑️ Nautalia, under the leadership of Rafael García Garrido, has been successfully running its judicious expansion strategy for travel agencies. Out of 230 sales points, 95% are profitable, contributing to a historic financial milestone. The fiscal year ending on October 31 saw an Ebitda over €8 million—up 20% from 2023—and a turnover of around €390 million.

🏨 Paul-Edouard Le Bret, Senior Director – Hotel Development France at Accor, has over 15 years in the hospitality industry and nearly three with Accor, the largest hotel group in Europe. Accor boasts 5,680 hotels worldwide and over 40 brands. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the French hotel sector, particularly in Lyon, is experiencing positive growth, with a faster-than-expected recovery and continued development, including the renovation of old buildings into hotels. Lyon did not see significant tourism impacts from the 2024 Paris Olympics. Post-pandemic, there has been a rise in hotel investments from new investors. Accor's strategy focuses on opening hotels in strategic locations with market-adapted concepts, enhancing investments and traveler demand. Handwritten Collection, a four-star boutique hotel in Lyon, caters to both business and leisure clients, blending corporate clients on weekdays with tourists on weekends. Accor's ALL loyalty program promotes customer retention across brands, offering point accumulation and redemption in various hospitality-related experiences. The role of technology at Accor is crucial, with dedicated departments enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency, including revenue management using advanced tech and AI for dynamic pricing. The evolving hotel industry trends toward more flexible and friendly hospitality, with F&B becoming a central part of the hotel business.

📈 The article discusses two access options for website content: Free Access with Cookies, requiring acceptance of cookie installation for analysis, content personalization, and advertising; and Personalized Navigation for Premium Partners, offering a cookie-free experience, with only essential cookies installed for site functionality, and the ability to manage cookie preferences post-login.🔒

🏖 In 2024, nearly two in five (38%) British travelers booked their holidays with a travel professional, up from just over a third (34%) the previous year. Young families and 18-24-year-olds saw an increase in using travel agents, from 36% in 2019 to 55% and 48% respectively in 2024. Package holidays remain the most popular choice for Brits traveling abroad, with 62% booking this way, rising to 77% for families and 71% for young adults. Top reasons for choosing packages included cost-effectiveness (44%), time savings (38%), and organized travel (37%).

✈️ Iberia introduces special winter campaign prices for new destinations: Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria, Tromso in Norway, and Rovaniemi in Lapland. Direct flights from Madrid to Innsbruck begin December 1 until March 26, with two weekly frequencies on Wednesdays and Sundays, starting at €79 per journey. Salzburg flights commence November 30 until March 29, also twice a week with tickets from €79. Tromso's northern lights experience is available December 1 to March 2, with Thursday and Sunday flights starting at €139. Rovaniemi's Santa Claus experience offers up to four weekly flights in December, from November 30 to March 1, with fares from €139.

💰 Expedia, an online travel agency, reported a 40.6% surge in net profit to €871.3 million ($935 million) for the first three quarters compared to the same period in 2023. This success is attributed to a 9% increase in overnight bookings during the summer months of the third quarter. Revenue rose 5.5% to €9.373 billion, and EBITDA increased by 6.6% to €2.135 billion from January to September. In the third quarter alone, net profit jumped 61% to €684 million. Expedia has repurchased 11.2 million shares at a total cost of €1.398 billion, averaging €123.08 per share, following an executive committee's authorized buyback program in October 2023 for an intended €4.660 billion ($5 billion).