Distribución y Revenue Management

📖 The "Viaja+65" initiative in Valencia offers subsidized stays from October to December for seniors, with accommodation compensation of €35 per person per day, a notable increase over the official Imserso program's €25. Participants can choose from 5-10 night stays at a 40% subsidy, with €100 extra credit for activities. There's a €600 subsidy cap for solo travelers and €900 with a companion. The program begins on October 14, with an initial €1.1 million investment, aiming for 50,000 overnight stays and 7,000-8,000 beneficiaries. By 2025, a €6 million investment is planned to offer 40,000 spots and nearly 300,000 overnight stays.

🏖️ Turismo Social, part of Ávoris Corporación Empresarial, announces its hotel offer for the 2024-2025 Imserso travel season, with 201 hotels across the Spanish coast and islands—9 more than last season, representing a 5% increase. Sales start on September 23, featuring 886,269 spots divided into: 443,887 for Coastal Peninsula Tourism, 230,039 for Insular Coast Tourism, and 212,343 for Getaway and European Tourism. Destinations include the Mediterranean coast, the Balearic and Canary Islands, and cultural and nature tourism options with accommodations distributed as 53 in Catalonia, 48 in Valencia Community, 38 in Andalusia, 30 in Canaries, 25 in Balearics, and 7 in the Region of Murcia.

🏨 Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, suggests room for increased hotel prices in Spain, highlighted during the opening of La Casa de las Artes Meliá Collection in Madrid. Comparing Spanish regions like Marbella and Ibiza to pricier destinations such as Santorini, Mykonos, and the Italian coast, Escarrer notes Spain's competitive edge in both vacation and urban settings. He emphasizes quality over quantity, aiming to attract high-value tourists from America, the Middle East, and Asia, enhancing Spain's offerings beyond just sun and beach to include cultural heritage, gastronomy, infrastructure, and safety.

🏖 Comunidad Valenciana launches "Viaja +65" program, as announced by President Carlos Mazón, to boost tourism demand among seniors over 65 during the off-season, from October 14 to December 20. Aimed at benefiting 7,000 to 8,000 residents, it's expected to generate 50,000 overnight stays. Madrid will host the third edition of the Sustainable Tourism Ágora on October 10 at the Teatro Albéniz, discussing sustainable initiatives for competitive advantages in the tourism industry. Renfe, Ouigo, and Iryo face financial challenges in their first year of competition in high-speed corridors, despite increased passenger numbers, due to price wars and high track fees, up to 51% of costs.

🏛 Egypt faces a tourism issue with its national museum located in Tahrir Square, Cairo, which has been insufficient for over 20 years. A new museum near the Pyramids, partially opened after a $1 billion investment, awaits completion. The highly anticipated new museum's opening, originally set for late this year, has been indefinitely postponed by the government to add new galleries and expand with a second museum. Currently, only 10% of the museum, including Ramses II statues, is open to visitors, with the main gallery of 5,500 works pending a launch date. Tourists must visit both distant museums, amidst concerns over regional conflicts like Gaza affecting tourism.

🏖 In September 2024, Turismo Social (Ávoris) will offer trips for retirees with 185 hotels, despite hotelier criticisms about low payment from the Imserso program. The number is down 4% from 192 last year, and far below the 235 participating in 2022/2023. Sales start on the 23rd in Andalucía and other regions, followed by Asturias and additional regions on the 25th. The hotels are distributed across the Spanish coast with 143 on the peninsula and 42 on the islands.

📈 En la gestión hotelera, KPIs como Ocupación Hotelera, ADR, RevPAR, GOPPAR, y CPOR son cruciales para maximizar rentabilidad y satisfacción del cliente. Herramientas como Net Promoter Score y encuestas de satisfacción evalúan la experiencia del huésped, mientras que una alta tasa de retención de clientes indica efectividad en fidelización. HotelGest proporciona software para monitorear estos indicadores en tiempo real, optimizando la eficiencia operativa y estrategias del hotel.

🏨 In Spain, 1,238 hotels are listed for sale, a decrease of 108 from last year's 1,350. The top 10 provinces, led by Alicante with 103 hotels, account for 54% of the listings. Following Alicante, Málaga has 88 hotels for sale, and Baleares 84. Other notable provinces include Girona and Granada with over 70, Valencia and Asturias with over 60, and Barcelona and Pontevedra with over 40. Year-over-year, Barcelona saw the largest drop in listings with 45 fewer hotels, while Murcia experienced the highest increase with 19 additional hotels.

🏢 Ávoris, after integrating brands acquired from Globalia in December 2022, including Halcón and Travelplan, launched the Ávoris Store platform to streamline the booking process between its agencies and tour operators. The group, led by Juan Carlos González, now boasts an extensive wholesale division with over a dozen brands and a retail division led by Halcón, B travel, and Ecuador, totaling over 2,300 agencies. The platform consolidates offerings from Travelplan, Jolidey, Catai, Special Tours, and others, and is fully operational.

🏦 Raúl González acknowledges the appeal of luxury for Spanish companies, traditionally not strong in the segment, but adapting to room rates over 1,000 euros. The Royal Hideaway opening in Canfranc revives an abandoned historic building. He highlights the Spanish creativity and service in luxury hospitality, with a need for years to position their brands. González notes an increasing travel budget among consumers favoring higher-level, pricier hotels, benefiting Spain. He warns against becoming a commodity due to high labor costs, suggesting automated design hotels with AI as an alternative for those unable to pay for enhanced services.