Distribución y Revenue Management

📈 Eva Martin-Fuentes, Carles Mateu, and Juan Pedro Mellinas published an article in Tourism and Hospitality Research analyzing Booking.com's rating system changes. Booking.com, owned by Booking Holdings Inc., earned $4.289 billion in 2023. Between late 2019 and early 2020, Booking.com switched from a 2.5-10 to a 1-10 rating scale, and from averaging six aspects to a single global score. This change caused a progressive drop in hotel ratings worldwide, with top-rated hotels seeing a decrease of 0.1 to 0.2 points. Hotels rated around 8 points experienced a 0.3 to 0.6-point drop, while hotels below 6 points lost about 1 point. The study shows a significant impact on hotels with better "facilities" having lesser drops in ratings. Hotel managers are advised to focus on maintaining the quality of their facilities as they are key to guest satisfaction.

🏖️ En 2025, los españoles buscan experiencias de viaje que unan a las personas, según Skyscanner. Prefieren gastar más en vacaciones: 33% en vuelos, 29% en alojamiento, y 15% en coches de alquiler en comparación con 2024. El precio es decisivo, con 56% priorizando tarifas de vuelos y 55% costes de hoteles. Experiencias como comida (60%), clima (56%) y cultura (53%) influyen en la elección de destino. El 38% de jóvenes españoles desea asistir a eventos deportivos, y más del 50% están interesados en ver auroras boreales. La salud y bienestar son prioritarios para el 57%, con un 76% visitando jardines durante sus viajes. Videojuegos inspiran el 44% de los destinos escogidos, con un aumento en búsquedas de vuelos para ferias de videojuegos y hoteles con consolas.

🏖️ Turoperador Mundiplan started selling its senior tourism program on September 12th in all autonomous communities, offering over 100,000 spots, including international destinations for the first time. With a 20% growth in their second season and 14 hotels in Andalusia, they provide alternatives to the high-demand Imserso program which often runs out of space for retirees. The program features 38 hotels across five autonomous communities for travelers over 55 this fall.

🏥 Mapa Group Travel CEO Alberto Díaz prioritizes consolidating current markets but is open to exploring new opportunities. In 2024, despite economic challenges, the company maintains a positive balance by operating in Spain, Italy, Latam, and the Anglo-Saxon market. The integration of King Holidays in May has been successful, particularly in Italy. For the rest of the year and into 2025, new routes and senior-focused offerings are planned, including operations from 12 Spanish airports for the December bridge. Revenue forecasts for 2024 are expected to mirror those of 2023 due to brand consolidation.

✈ On July 21, an unauthorized vehicle entered runway 36L at Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas Airport during an A350's takeoff run with 330 passengers. The control tower, noticing the intrusion, prompted action for identification. Aena and the State Agency for Air Safety (AESA) are investigating, while the Civil Guard inquired but deferred to AESA.

🏠 Fuerte Group Hotels closed 2023 with revenues of €80.5 million, a 26.7% increase from 2022. Its six properties welcomed 157,000 guests from 163 nationalities with an average stay of 5 days. British tourists were the majority at Amàre and El Fuerte Marbella at 34.76% and 16.48%, respectively, while Spaniards led Fuerte Hotels' clientele at 52.25%. Employment rose by 33% to 863.6 people, with 62.7% local hires. The sustainability plan aims for a 1% carbon footprint reduction in 2023, progressing toward zero carbon by 2050. Social commitment included €167,452.96 in training (20,843 hours) and €34,427.46 in social improvements for employees.

🚂 SkyTeam announced Trenitalia as its second intermodal partner, following the addition of Eurostar. Trenitalia, Italy's main rail operator, enables combined airplane and train itineraries with SkyTeam airlines. 14 SkyTeam airlines operate in Italy, connecting with Trenitalia's Frecciarossa high-speed rail network, which serves 150 destinations in Italy and operates in Spain and France. The partnership will go into effect in the first half of 2025, and SkyTeam currently comprises 20 airlines, offering 1,000 destinations.

🏨 Spanish coastal hotels saw a 7.8% RevPar increase to €126.3 during summer 2024 compared to the previous year. Costa de la Luz in Cádiz had a 10.3% rise to €137.2, Almuñécar's RevPar soared by 20.5% reaching €99.8, while Costa de la Luz in Huelva jumped 22.5% to €119.4. Contrastingly, Marbella's Costa del Sol experienced a modest 3.8% growth to €144.9, indicating a stabilization in prices.

🏦 Pedro Fiol, representative of Aviba, warns that continuing protests in Baleares could threaten the region's economy. Despite protests, summer sales were very positive and high expectations are set for the end of 2024. Ibiza experienced last-minute bookings, Menorca saw slight growth, and Mallorca increased reservations for packages and single services. Agencies and tour operators improved online booking systems, adapting offers to tourists' needs amidst inflation and economic pressures. The sector managed to balance price rises with pre-bookings and competitive pricing strategies, while concerns about protests potentially deterring tourists were voiced. The sector remains hopeful despite regulations and geopolitical issues.

📊 Business travel is projected to hit a record €1.37 trillion in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to WTTC. In 2023, leisure tourism was only 2.9% behind 2019 peak, while business travel lagged by 5.4%. By 2024, business travel is expected to exceed 2019's levels by 6.2%, reaching $1.5 trillion. In the U.S., business travel spending is forecasted to hit $472 billion, up 13.4% from 2019, and China's is anticipated to grow by 13.1% to nearly $211 billion. Germany, the UK, and France are also expected to see record spending on business travel at $87.5 billion, $84.1 billion, and $42.1 billion, respectively.