Eventos

🛩 Iberia Express has canceled all flights to Israel until May 31st for security reasons, following a missile landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. This comes after several airlines withdrew from Israel due to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Air Europa maintains a different approach, canceling flights day by day but still selling tickets for May with six weekly frequencies. Tensions remain high as Israel and the US have retaliated against Houthi targets.

🏖 Hosteltur, a leading marketing solutions provider for the tourism sector, reaches over 400,000 professional users across various platforms. They offer up-to-date information and strategies to enhance digital marketing efforts in the tourism industry.

🏕 Cuba celebrated FITCuba, aiming to boost tourism after a 17-year low of 2.2 million visitors in 2024, excluding pandemic years. In early 2024, tourism fell 30% year-on-year. The event in Havana had 850 international and 2,000 national participants, with China as the guest of honor. Prime Minister Manuel Marrero cited U.S. sanctions as a challenge and plans "structural reforms" and international cooperation projects. After peaking at 4.7 million tourists in 2017, numbers fell to 1.6 million in 2022 and slightly rose to 2.4 million in 2023. Economist José Luis Perelló predicts a tourism rebound by 2030. Despite difficulties, hotel groups like Iberostar and Meliá remain committed to growing in Cuba.

🏗️ Convención Turespaña 2026 candidate cities can apply until June 13; the chosen city to be announced on July 7. The sixth edition will occur in October 2026, exact week undecided, either the week of the 6th or the 20th. Cáceres hosts the fifth edition this October. Requirements include adequate hotel and conference infrastructure, accessibility, and a social and activities program. The event gathers over 600 participants for three days and covers tourism marketing, air connectivity, Turespaña’s team, and its overseas network. Previous editions took place in Sevilla, Barcelona, San Sebastián, and Tenerife. Hosting impacts local economics and visibility in tourism promotion.

🍺 On April 29, British tabloid The Sun reported a power outage in Spain leading to a beer shortage in Benidorm, impacting thousands of English tourists. The outage disabled beer taps and payment systems, as the headline "No Beer in Benidorm" stated. High temperatures worsened the situation, with tourists left "high and dry." A visitor's frustration was highlighted: "Bloody beer's warm. Any chance of sorting this out @Spain? I can't drink warm beer in Benidorm.

✈ Iberia Express operates over 300 weekly flights to the Canary Islands. Iberia has begun using an A330, with a 288-passenger capacity, for daily flights on the highly competitive Madrid-Tenerife Norte route. This has increased capacity by nearly 200 seats daily, responding to demand and enhancing Madrid's hub.

🏗 Phocuswright Europe announced its 2025 program for the conference on June 10-12 at Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, Barcelona. Themed "The New Era(s)," it will focus on transformative forces in travel, emphasizing generative AI's impact. Top executives from Expedia Group, Accor, Airbnb, Booking.com, Lufthansa Group, Ryanair, Tripadvisor, and Viator are confirmed speakers. The conference will feature keynotes, debates, innovation launches, and exclusive sessions, and reveal the Global Startup Pitch 2025 winners. Early bird discounts are available for a limited time.

🏢 Accor acquired the Orient Express brand and is developing a high-end rail product following the traditional route from London to Venice and Rome. The journey concludes in Rome, where the Orient Express has purchased the Palazzo Fonseca, named La Minerva, near the Roman Pantheon, featuring 93 rooms. Room prices range from €1,198 for a classic to €2,138 for a suite, with Louis Vuitton involved in decorating. Additionally, Orient Express will open the Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice and introduce two luxury yachts into the experience by 2026.

🏨 TecnoHotel OnTour event is set for Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Ibiza at Hotel Vibra Algarb from 9:00h to 14:00h. Organized by Peldaño and supported by Maarlab, the event offers free registration for vacation lodging and hotel professionals, featuring practical training, inspiring talks, and networking opportunities. The program includes Speed Dating with tech companies, brief lectures, roundtable discussions, and a closing cocktail for networking. Companies like Triptease, Noray, Lybra Tech, and others will participate, with Marc Rahola, CEO of OD Hotels, confirmed for a roundtable. Attendance is free but requires validation.

🏨 Hosteltur connects with over 400,000 professional users in the tourism sector, offering top-notch information and marketing solutions across various platforms.