Eventos

🚀 On October 13, 1977, at Son Sant Joan Airport in Palma de Mallorca, Flight 181, a Lufthansa Boeing 737 with 87 passengers, was hijacked by five members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine en route to Frankfurt. After multiple forced stops, it ended in Mogadishu, Somalia. German police's GSG unit fatally shot three hijackers and rescued the hostages five days later, but not before the pilot, Jürgen Schumann, was murdered. The plane, named "Landshut," flew for eight more years before being abandoned in Fortaleza in 2008. Acquired by the Dornier Museum for €20,000 in 2017, it will be displayed at the "Democracy Space" exhibition by the German Ministry of Education at Lake Constance from 2026.

🏢 Airmet held the second stage of its "Con Altura" tour in Madrid, gathering over a hundred professionals to discuss challenges and marketing strategies for independent agencies. Key speakers included Guillermo González Vallina and Fernando Lucini from W2M, Manuel López of Intermundial, Antonio Luis Fernández from Bedsonline, Jorge Serrano of Costa Cruceros, Adolfo García from Iberia, and Virginia Díaz from Amadeus. The next stop of the tour is scheduled in Barcelona on Friday, October 25.

🎄 European Christmas markets traditionally run from mid-November to late December, with the demand for visiting these destinations surging during the season. Top tour operators in Spain like Special Tours, Catai, Mundosenior, Ávoris, Viajes El Corte Inglés, Nautalia Viajes, and Viajes Carrefour have scheduled trips ranging from an average of 4-5 days to as long as 8 days. Strasbourg, France, hosts one of the oldest Christmas markets since 1570, attracting over 2 million visitors. Other notable markets include those in Prague, Budapest, which has been repeatedly awarded the European Best Destinations title, Gdansk, Nuremberg, Geneva, Cologne with 4 million annual visitors, Vienna, Brussels with over 2.5 million annual visitors, and London's Hyde Park. These markets offer not only shopping opportunities but also a festive atmosphere with entertainment such as live music, Ferris wheels, and ice skating.

🏨 Cartagena will host the XX Congreso de Hoteleros Españoles in November 2025, organized by the Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos (CEHAT) and HoyTú. This city was chosen due to its historical richness and tourist potential. The last congress took place in Mallorca in 2023, offering a platform for industry professionals to discuss trends, share innovative ideas, and strive for service quality enhancement.

🏠 Mallorca's Consell de Mallorca is offering a reduced Imserso program for 1,000 seniors over 60. They can stay at the Blau Punta Reina Resort in Cala Mandía, with a draw for 500 hotel nights. Registration is online, ending October 18. A double room costs €116.60 for two nights, including full board, activities, and insurance, with 75% subsidized by the Consell. Dates are November 4-6 and 6-8, with 500 double spots split between the two periods, only for Mallorca residents.

💸 Air Europa Boeing 737 pilots notified control tower of technical issue affecting flaps minutes after takeoff from Madrid-Barajas. The commander circled for over 50 minutes to burn fuel before an emergency landing. Post-landing runway inspection found liquid, leading to temporary operation on single runway 32R.

🏖️ Antonio Morales emphasized the need for a tourism model change through effective communication at a forum in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Pere Vallés, CEO of Exoticca, highlighted innovation post-pandemic as a newfound necessity in tourism, contrasting the ongoing innovation in competitive sectors like telecommunications. The 12th edition of Overbooking Gran Canaria & Hosteltur Summit witnessed discussions on the importance of new technologies like AI, with contributions from Jorge Schoenenberger and Ricardo Fernández. Jesus Plaza from Sony Pictures noted the potential of generative AI in creative campaigns. Javier Escorihuela of Isostopy hinted at future advancements with the Vision Pro XR device. Influencer marketing's growth, especially on TikTok, was addressed by Sara Vicioso, while Sandra Andújar urged a focus on luxury travel to attract high-impact travelers. Magí Castelltort highlighted the U.S. as a valuable market for the Canary Islands. Lastly, industry professionals like Anna Viladot and María Umbert stressed the importance of educating the public on tourism's economic and social contributions.

🛩️ Ryanair claimed Spanish air traffic control exceeded their authority on August 15 during a virtual closure of Palma due to bad weather; pilots regularly accuse Spanish controllers of being outdated and incompetent compared to their European counterparts. This ongoing controversy among aviation professionals suggests systemic issues within Spain's air control system.

💰 Imserso travel sales for Cantabria's pensioners start on September 23, with an initial advantage to secure their spots. This 2024-2025 season offers 886,269 places, with sales in two blocks by region. Almost three million letters (2,853,985) are being sent to confirm reservation credentials. Available slots include 443,887 for Coastal Mainland, 230,039 for Islands, and 212,343 for Getaways and European Tourism. Prices vary, e.g., €124.68 for a 4-day provincial capital trip and €331.49 for a 10-day trip to the Balearic Islands with transport. Reservations require a maximum 20% prepayment and can be made via accredited travel agencies or the official Turismo Social website.

🏖️ Spain's tourism sees uneven trends: Northern regions like A Coruña, Lugo, Asturias, and Vizcaya register significant visitor growth, driven by domestic tourism in July, while southern regions, especially tourist-heavy Málaga and Cádiz in Andalucía, experience declines, with Cádiz's hotel tourism dropping 10%. Contrastingly, Northern Spain attracts Spaniards with less crowded destinations and milder temperatures. External factors, including the pandemic, may influence the shift, with potential long-term implications for Cantabrian regions as emerging priorities for travelers.