Eventos

💰 Galicia's pensioners can reserve Imserso travel program spots starting 25 September 2023, with 886,269 available for national and international destinations. Reservations open 23 September for other Spanish regions. Travel commences in October, and sales are in two phases: 23-24 September for select regions and 25-26 for the rest. Three travel lots are offered: 443,887 for coastal mainland, 230,039 for islands, and 212,343 for city breaks and European tourism, starting from €124.68. Eligibility includes Spanish pensioners, benefit recipients aged 60+, or residents abroad. Reservations require a max 20% deposit, made through accredited agencies or online with an Imserso accreditation code.

🍷 Feria de Valladolid will host the 6th International Wine Tourism Fair (FINE) on March 5-6. The 2021 enotourism industry generated $7 billion globally, forecasted to nearly double by 2026 to $13 billion. FINE 2020 attracted 140 wineries, routes, hotels, and 84 buyers from 23 countries. The event features an international contracting market, conferences, roundtables, and workshops analyzing wine tourism trends.

💶 Pensionistas to receive accreditation letters in early September for the Imserso 2024-2025 tourism program. About 200,000 letters sent daily to reach around 3 million recipients. Letters include a unique key number, assigned travel day, and travel mode for the upcoming season, along with details about destinations, dates, and prices. Sales expected to start in September, vacations from October. ????️

🌊 Pescaturismo and marine tourism are on the rise in Spain, attracting more businesses and travelers. Balfegó has offered the Tuna Tour in L'Ametlla de Mar since 2012. In 2023, Pescaturismo platform recorded 5,000 excursions and 2,000 tourists across the coast. Galicia leads in activity, while Basque Country projects gain strength with regional government support. Andalusia's season started in May, and in Burela, tourists can attend bonito auctions. Mainly foreign tourists from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Scandinavia are involved, with increased interest from Spanish families.

💡 Spanish air traffic controllers revealed on their X (formerly Twitter) account a curious incident over Spanish airspace. Stratospheric balloons from Morocco were detected by Flightradar24 above the Canary Islands, flying at higher altitudes than commercial flights. These balloons are typically used for communications, data transmission, surveillance, and intelligence, and their presence is notable in one of Europe's busiest air corridors.

🏖️ At Phocuswright Europe 2024, technologies suggest tourists will prioritize booking experiences over flights and hotels. Roberto Bermúdez from Juniper Experiences revealed a star-based classification system for activities, aiming to standardize offerings on B2B platforms. The fragmented and immature online experience market is years behind hotel and flight marketplaces. The goal is to mitigate overtourism by distributing tourist flows better and offering a broader range of categorized activities. The increase in activities is driven by freelancers, SMEs, and the changing way trips are booked, focusing first on desired vacation activities.

🏢 Málaga is evolving into a national "Silicon Valley," drawing significant investment in the technology sector, boosting its economy, and establishing it as an innovation and entrepreneurship hub. Valencia has enhanced its air connectivity, expanded its hotel offerings, and boasts event infrastructure like the Palacio de Congresos and Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias. The growth of Valencia and Málaga in MICE tourism is largely due to the efforts of local Convention Bureaus, which promote the cities as event destinations and work closely with service providers to ensure smooth event operations. Consultia Business Travel's MICE director Renato Peña highlights their role in incorporating industry innovations to stay competitive.

✈ Vueling increases France operations with up to 30 weekly flights to Paris-Orly and Charles de Gaulle during July-August for the Olympics, marking a 15% growth from last year. Over 200 weekly departures will include flights from Barcelona (50 weekly to Paris-Orly, 29 to Charles de Gaulle), Sevilla (13 total), Bilbao, Málaga, Alicante (each adding six, three, and three flights respectively), and minimal increases from Santiago and Asturias.

🏨 Madrid, 17 July 2024. ITH to collaborate with Feria Hábitat Valencia for hotel industry conferences from 30 September to 3 October. Conferences will cover emerging tech, collaborative robotics, and sustainability in hotel design, with talks by industry executives and experts. Hector Ruiz-Velázquez’s “Hotel Hábitat València” to exhibit with over 500 square meters of creatively designed hotel spaces, featuring products from Hábitat and Textilhogar exhibitors, and host conference sessions.

🏖️ Spain is facing a wave of tourismophobia, with the Mesa del Turismo highlighting concerns over "harassment" campaigns against tourists. President Juan Molas emphasizes the importance of welcoming tourists and the need for political unity against such actions. Tourism is vital for Spain, contributing 13% to the GDP directly and creating over 3 million jobs. The lobby is advocating for a prompt action plan and a coordinated effort to mitigate the negative image being reported by international media.