Distribución y Revenue Management

🏖️ Tui España, benefiting from the fall of German giant FTI, has grown in the Canary Islands and Turkey. Ian Livesey, Tui's COO for Baleares, Peninsula, Andorra, Laponia, and Iceland, stated that their main business in Spain is in the Canaries with increased passenger numbers. In Turkey, despite high inflation of over 70%, Tui has gained strength. Mallorca competes with Antalya as top destinations for German tourists. British tourism continues to drive numbers in Baleares, with Tui's largest market in Ibiza and Menorca being British and German in Mallorca.

🏨 The "hotel Trafalgar" in Madrid's Chamberí district, previously owned by Orinoquia Capital and managed by Welcomer Group as HomeArt Apartments Chamberi, was acquired by a national family office. The building at Trafalgar 35, with 2,000 square meters, 31 apartments, and common areas, will continue as tourist rentals due to its profitability. The sale was advised by consulting firm Catella. Edric Capriles of Orinoquia led a complete overhaul, repositioning the asset for short and medium-term lodging, responding to current investor interest and user preferences.

🚢 CroisiEurope, Europe's leading river cruise company, offers an all-inclusive package this autumn/winter season with free onboard Wi-Fi and port fees. Notable itineraries include the 5-day "Capitals of the Danube" from Madrid with November discounts up to €246 and excursions, and the picturesque Alsace cruise priced at €1,212 for adults and €567 for children, featuring an optional Europa-Park excursion. Mediterranean beauty cruises from Barcelona offer 20% discounts for children, with babies free, and excursions at each destination. Canaries cruise departs on December 7, 2024, and January 18, 2025, and the Naples, Amalfi Coast, and Sicily cruise sets sail on February 12, 2025. All cruises include full board with French cuisine, gala dinner, welcome cocktail, and onboard entertainment.

🏖 TUI Group, Europe's tourism giant, targets LATAM market expansion with a new platform selling holiday packages, leveraging local partnerships. The initiative builds on TUI's technology and the Spain & Portugal team's expertise to drive significant regional growth. Collaborations with travel agencies in Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, and Colombia have been established, focusing on tailored LATAM customer experiences. Sebastian Ebel, CEO of TUI Group, sees LATAM as a substantial growth opportunity, served by digital platforms ready to meet rising demand. TUI Spain & Portugal has seen promising growth, creating products for LATAM and launching a digital platform offering a range of predefined packages and dynamic itinerary creation. Preferred destinations include Asia, North America, and Northern Europe, with TUI's own river cruises in Germany.

🚩 Nicolás Maduro, presidente of Venezuela, announced a significant reduction in flights to Spain after Madrid recognized his electoral opponent Edmundo González as the legitimate president. Venezuela had previously cancelled 54% of its international flights, including those to Dominican Republic, Peru, and Panama, impacting Caracas's connectivity with the rest of America, particularly through Panama's Copa Airlines. Air Europa, Iberia, and Plus Ultra maintain connections with Madrid, a major European gateway for Venezuela. The Venezuelan travel industry, already marginal, faces further isolation due to these cuts, which are driven by Maduro's political stance against non-recognition of his controversial electoral victory.

🚂 Ouigo, after debuting with Madrid-Barcelona route in May 2021, now serves 12 destinations in Spain. By 2024, the French company plans to extend services to Sevilla, Málaga, and Córdoba with Alstom Euroduplex trains. Long-term goals include expansion to Galicia, Asturias, Andalucía Occidental, and the Basque Country, pending rolling stock availability and infrastructure completion. Ouigo offers €9 tickets, exceeding 90% occupancy on its trains, and aims for operational profitability by 2025. Renfe has responded with competing fares through its Avlo brand, while Iryo, another competitor, focuses on quality and anticipates a 25% passenger growth this year.

📊 On September 13, 2024, an article detailed the importance of stock control for long-term sales enhancement and the significance of applying the right inventory valuation method, such as the Precio Medio Ponderado (PMP) or Weighted Average Cost method. PMP is suitable for items with little differentiation and is favored for its stable valuation, which allows for more accurate financial reports and better management for companies with high stock turnover. PMP offers advantages over LIFO, FIFO, and FEFO by not requiring tracking of specific batches or expiry dates, simplifying cost calculations, and being adaptable to companies with significant inventory movement. Recognized by international accounting standards like NIIF and GAAP, PMP aids in inventory valuation, financial reporting, purchase management, and production cost calculation. A practical application example provided: 100 units at €10, 150 units at €12, and 200 units at €11, resulting in a weighted average cost of €11.11 per unit. The use of warehouse management software (SGA) is recommended to automate complex calculations and ensure real-time inventory data integration with accounting systems. Zucchetti Spain offers customized ERP solutions for efficient warehouse management and stock control.

🏖 Imserso's Travel Program for Seniors will begin on September 23 with 886,269 places available for the 2024-2025 season. Sales start on September 23 and 24 for regions including Andalucía and Madrid, with remaining places available on September 25. The second block, including Asturias and Cataluña, starts sales on September 25 and 26, with additional reservations possible from September 27 if spots are left. A scoring system assesses criteria like age, disability, income, and more, where the maximum points for age is 20, for disability is 10, and for not having traveled in the last two seasons is 225. Reservations require a deposit not exceeding 20% of the total trip cost. Trips start at €124 for 4 days in provincial capitals and €210 for 8 days in destinations like the Balearic and Canary Islands, excluding transport.

💳 Independent travel agencies are experiencing a slowdown in tourist consumption, a trend confirmed by key management group executives. Sara Fernández of Grupo Gea notes a deceleration in sales but maintains agencies are still selling with good advanced sales margins. Jon Arriaga of DIT Gestión acknowledges a spectacular start to the year, with a natural subsequent slowdown as many travelers booked early. Airmet's Rubén Fernández cites concerns about rising hotel and transport prices, which may turn the temporary sales deceleration into a structural issue.

🏨 Global accommodation bookings reached $1.07 trillion last year, with hotels contributing 76% ($792 billion) to the total. Tourist housing surged by 32% compared to pre-pandemic levels, while hotel revenues were still 6% lower than in 2019. By 2027, bookings are expected to grow to $1.66 trillion, with hotel and tourist housing revenues projected to increase by 56% and 48%, respectively.