Distribución y Revenue Management

🏡 Choice has partnered with Faranda to franchise and market eight hotels totaling 700 rooms across Spain, specifically in Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, including cities like La Coruña, Santiago de Compostela, Gijón, and Santander. This follows a previous franchising agreement with Radisson for American locations. The hotels involved are Rías Altas, Marsol Candas, Hotel Pathos Gijón, Alisas Santander, Los Tilos, Torrelavega, and Las Lomas.

🏖️ España recibió 73.9 millones de turistas extranjeros hasta septiembre, un aumento del 10.9% comparado con el año anterior. El gasto asociado fue de 99.086 millones de euros. Los principales mercados emisores fueron Reino Unido (14.7 millones), Francia (10.3 millones) y Alemania (9.4 millones). Cataluña, Baleares y Canarias fueron las comunidades más visitadas. En promedio, cada turista gastó 1.315 euros, con un gasto diario de 195 euros.

🛫 Valencia's DANA caused major disruptions in transport since October 30, with at least 30 trains suspended, including all high-speed services (AVE and Avlo) between Madrid and Valencia, affecting routes to Barcelona, Alicante, Murcia, and Teruel. Valencia Airport faced flight diversions and cancellations due to flooding, with infrastructure complications expected until the weekend. Airbus delivered the world's first A321XLR to Iberia, capable of 8,700 km range and operating on 50% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The aircraft debuts in November on North American routes, starting with Boston. Over half of Spain's business travelers prefer high-speed train, favoring Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Valencia, and Madrid-Sevilla routes.

📍 Directivos del sector turístico español expresan preocupación por la caída de rentabilidad, anticipando que la tendencia podría mantenerse a corto y medio plazo. Factores como el aumento de precios de proveedores de transporte y alojamiento han forzado a los turoperadores a sacrificar márgenes para mantener precios competitivos. Además, los programas de turismo para mayores impulsados por autonomías están reduciendo aún más los márgenes de ganancia.

📱 Customers value WhatsApp communication and 24/7 phone support from travel agencies the most, according to a Beroni study conducted by Observatorio Nacional del Turismo Emisor (ObservaTUR). Despite increased digitalization, travelers are still comfortable with printed trip information. Travel companionship apps have not become a common demand, and online B2C booking is deemed of low importance. Key for agencies is continued engagement, like sending offers or newsletters, to inspire clients' dream trips.

🚄 En España, más de la mitad de los empleados (55%) prefieren los trenes de alta velocidad para viajes de trabajo, con Madrid-Barcelona, Madrid-Valencia y Madrid-Sevilla siendo las rutas más transitadas. En 2024, el 65% de reservas de viajes de negocios a través de TravelPerk fueron en tren vs. 35% en avión. El 84% eligió tren en la ruta Madrid-Barcelona, y el 98% en Madrid-Valencia. La aceptación en Madrid-Santiago de Compostela aumentó del 4% en 2022 al 42% en 2024. Los precios de los billetes cayeron un 19% en 2023 y un adicional 8% en 2024, costando 92 euros en promedio para un viaje de ida y vuelta.

🏨 Hotels don't generate demand; their role is to capture demand through effective strategies. Destinations, tour operators, airlines, and media are key demand generators, with media influence growing due to social networks and "screen tourism," which moves about 100 million tourists annually. Hotels compete with OTAs and metasearch platforms to attract this demand. OTAs have limited demand-generation capacity, emphasizing the importance of hotels maintaining attractive products, reputation, competitive prices, and visibility to capture demand. Direct sales strategies include understanding customers, aligning products with expectations, managing online reputation, competitive direct channel pricing, promotions, targeted marketing campaigns, constant visibility, careful availability management, and analyzing real hotel demand.

🏖️ Extrahotel accommodations surpassed 13.9 million overnight stays in September, a 3.7% increase from September 2023. Campings saw the highest growth, while tourist apartments represented 50.6% of stays according to the INE survey. Resident overnight stays grew 1.4%, non-resident stays by 5.3%. Tourist apartments recorded 7.03 million stays, up by 3.5%, with resident stays up 5% and non-resident stays up 2.9%. The IPAP rose by 5.2% in September. Canaries was the most popular destination, Madrid had the highest occupancy at 77.5%. Campings reached 4.89 million overnight stays, a 6.4% increase, with the IPAC also up by 6.4%. Catalonia was the top camping destination with more than 2.3 million stays. Rural accommodation stays were stable at 1.22 million despite a 4.1% rise in the IPTR. Baleares was the favored destination with an occupancy of 64.4%. Hostel stays decreased by 4.6% to 843,988, with Galicia as the preferred destination and Madrid reaching the highest occupancy rate of 69.8%.

📌 Beroni's study, conducted by ObservaTUR, shows customers highly value a WhatsApp channel and 24/7/365 phone support in their dealings with travel agencies. Technology is key during the trip inspiration and preparation phases, aiding in itinerary personalization. However, travelers prefer printed travel information and display low concern for digital documentation. In-travel companion apps have limited interest, and web-based B2C booking is not commonly demanded.

🇮🇳 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited India to meet President Narendra Modi, highlighting the relationship between Spain and India. The meeting exposed a 'branding' issue for Spain, known more for 'overtourism' and football, specifically La Liga's Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, rather than other cultural attractions in the world's most populous country and third-largest economy.