Distribución y Revenue Management

🏖 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).

🏨 Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, predicts overcoming Covid's legacy by Q4 2024, with a more resilient business model, improved margins, and a solid balance sheet. Net profit rose 28.3% to €139.4 million, Ebitda increased by 10.1% to €425.9 million year-over-year, and Q3 Ebitda hit €188.3 million, up 11.8%. Third-quarter revenue was €584.1 million (+2.7%), and nine-month revenue reached €1.544 billion (+4.5%). Liquidity improved to €482.3 million, and net financial debt dropped to €832.2 million.

🎄 Madrid welcomes Christmas on November 28 with its iconic lighting ceremony attracting thousands. The city offers a capella choirs, gastronomic markets, and the traditional Plaza Mayor Christmas market. Visitors can enjoy selfie spots with huge Christmas trees, take the 'Christmas bus' tour, and ice skate in rinks around the city. Cirque du Soleil presents "Alegría" at Espacio Puerta del Ángel. "Circo Price en Navidad" and "Circlassica" at Ifema-Feria de Madrid provide acrobatic shows with a holiday spirit. Families can explore "El Manantial de los Sueños El Origen de la Navidad" with various Christmas activities. "Naturaleza Encendida" at Parque Enrique Tierno Galván turns into a magical landscape with illuminated sea creatures and insects. Immersive exhibitions like "La leyenda del Titanic" and "Harry Potter: The Exhibition" are perfect for family outings. BLESS Hotel Madrid and Hotel InterContinental offer Christmas-themed experiences, including meeting Santa Claus and viewing the Three Kings Parade. Other hotels like Rosewood Villa Magna provide ice skating rinks and festive lounges. Enjoy musicals like "Los pilares de la Tierra" and "Come from Away" this season.

🏖️ Melilla introduces Tourist Vouchers offering up to 75% discounts on transportation and accommodation to make the culturally rich and historically significant Spanish city in North Africa more accessible. Known for its mix of European and African influences, the city boasts a unique architectural heritage, including the second largest collection of Modernist buildings in Spain after Barcelona. The Blue Flag beaches, year-round mild climate, and the fusion of Mediterranean and Arab cuisine add to its allure. The vouchers can be obtained at bonosmelilla.es, with a limited offer suggesting prompt application.

🎄 Las mejores fechas para viajar en Navidad incluyen el puente de la Constitución (6-8 diciembre), la semana previa (18-24 diciembre) y días posteriores al 26 de diciembre. Washington celebra el centenario de su "National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony" a principios de diciembre, rodeado por 58 árboles adicionales. Boston, Dresde, Ciudad de México, París, Río de Janeiro, Colmar, Tallín, Rovaniemi (Laponia), Nueva York, Vitoria, Estocolmo, Madrid, Roma, Praga, Londres, Nuremberg, Milán, Málaga, Viena, Estrasburgo, Annaberg-Buchholz, Lisboa, Ámsterdam, Innsbruck, Edimburgo, Tokio, Vancouver y Salzburgo destacan por su ambiente navideño con mercados, luces y decoraciones tradicionales. Estrasburgo es conocida como la "capital de la Navidad" y su mercado inicia el 27 de noviembre de 2024.

🛌 Alberto Malpartida, CEO of Tripcare, spoke at the AEGVE International Summit 2024 in Sevilla, discussing the increased risks in business travel, including extreme weather, geopolitics, and labor strikes. He advised travel managers on risk evaluation, updating travel risk policies, staying informed, briefing travelers on issues, and providing mitigation measures like 24-hour assistance. Positive projections for 2025 events were discussed, with trends expected to surpass or stabilize compared to 2024's record levels. Bosch's Senior Travel Manager, Sandra Felix, critiqued the NDC implementation and emphasized airline consideration of travel manager needs by 2030. The Sevilla Congress & Convention Bureau hosted the Summit, highlighting Andalusia's MICE offerings and the renovated Ilunion Alcora hotel.

🏖️ 56% of Hanaley Travel's clients chose off-peak months to travel in 2024, with savings often exceeding 20% compared to high season. In low season, Japan, Argentina, and Tanzania emerged as favored destinations due to less crowding and availability of accommodations and activities. Parks and monuments see up to 40% fewer visitors, and the majority of surveyed travelers (93%) enjoyed a richer experience. Preferred traveler profiles include young couples and retirees interested in cultural immersion and sustainable tourism.

💰 Booking reported summer quarter sales of $43.4 billion, with $8 billion revenue and a nearly 19% commission rate. They spent over 50% of this on management and promotion, resulting in $3.7 billion profit, with daily profits reaching $41 million, surpassing any other tourism business. Marketing costs were $2.15 billion, predominantly on Google.