Distribución y Revenue Management

🌎 Club de Vacaciones, a tour operator under Grupo Viajes El Corte Inglés, is targeting travel agencies as Imserso's sales begin. On September 9 and 16, workshops aim to highlight their quality trips for seniors over 60 and superior agent commissions. From late July, they offered competitive coastal and island travel deals. For 7 nights, prices start at €239 (without transport) and €354 (with transport), compared to Imserso's €224.63 and €244.04 plus potential surcharges.

🏨 TikTok, in partnership with Booking.com, launched a hotel booking channel in the U.S., revolutionizing hotel distribution. Currently in test phase, it allows a select group of U.S. users to book hotels within TikTok. TikTok Go enables content creators with 1,000+ followers to earn commissions by promoting hotels. Marketing experts suggest this could shorten the traditional booking journey. David Hoctor will discuss this at Phocuswright in San Diego this November.

🏨 Pol Pérez Puig highlights the financial impact of free hotel room upgrades, suggesting a hotel with 150 rooms losing over €6,000 monthly if they give away five €40 upgrades daily. Experts like Pablo Torres and Fátima Rivas Fernández recommend strategic upgrades to avoid devaluing hotel offerings. José Cervera Polo and Alejandro Francino advocate leveraging technology for smarter upselling. Effective communication is vital, as Beatriz Morón notes that notifying guests of upgrades enhances perceived value.

🛠 Trino Martínez, February 2025, Andalucía: Reports that it is more expensive to vacation for a week on the peninsular coast than to fly to the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, European capitals, or the Caribbean. Criticizes hotels for allowing last-minute cancellations and lacking pricing control. Warns against Spanish coastal hotels closing six months annually, leading to public costs. Urges caution as international tourism may shift to cheaper, higher-quality destinations.

💸 Booking.com charges commissions ranging from 10% to 25%, commonly around 15%, for each confirmed reservation through its platform. This fee impacts the profitability of accommodations, as it represents a significant operational cost. To calculate the commission, apply the agreed percentage to the reservation total, excluding local taxes. Strategies to mitigate these costs include promoting direct bookings, negotiating terms, and employing dynamic pricing. Monitoring these expenses is crucial for maintaining viable profit margins.

📈 Lastminute's first-half 2025 revenue reached €182.8 million, with 67% from package sales. Revenue grew 11% from 2024, while gross profit increased by 9% to €76.2 million. Adjusted EBITDA rose 26% to €28.9 million. Despite a 22% drop in net income to €7.8 million, strategic complementary sales expansion, including flights, hotels, and extra services like transfers, fueled growth. CEO Alessandro Petazzi credited effective pricing and service diversification for success.

💳 Booking.com ha lanzado su primera tarjeta de crédito en EE.UU., la Genius Rewards Visa Signature® Credit Card, en colaboración con First Electronic Bank y gestionada por Imprint, sin comisión anual. Los usuarios ganan hasta un 6% en créditos de viaje, que solo se canjean en Booking.com. Ofrece beneficios como el estatus Genius Level 3, un bono de $150 tras gastar $1,500 en 90 días, y un extra de $100 anualmente por gastar $15,000.

📊 Rafael García Garrido, CEO of Travel Live, calls for a shift in tourism distribution by moving away from price-cutting strategies that harm profit margins. García Garrido emphasizes enhancing service quality to improve wages, retain talent, and strengthen teams. He points out that this strategic approach is crucial for sustaining Spain's tourism industry, a key economic driver. Travel Live leads this change, aiming to dignify and advance the sector with vision and determination.

🌎 El Corte Inglés, en 2024, reporta un volumen de 220.2M€ en Emiratos Árabes Unidos, un crecimiento del 50%. Total facturación allí roza los 403M€. Beneficio antes de impuestos: 7.7M€. En México, ingresos caen 27% a 270.6M€, con 106 agencias, 65% de la red internacional. Beneficio baja 12% a 32.5M€. Ingresos internacionales suben 5% a 1,274M€, 8.6% del total. Portugal crece 0.5%, el resto del mundo 10%.

🏨 Hotel bookings face hurdles with agentic AI: Privacy concerns arise in the EU and California due to GDPR and CCPA regulations. PSD2 laws in the EU demand 2FA for payments, challenging automated processes. Major hotel chains resist due to cost and loss of control. Complex booking variables and loyalty program integration further complicate adoption. Despite potential in niches like corporate travel, widespread adoption remains uncertain without trust and clear incentives.