Fusiones y Adquisiciones

🏠 Alterhome has partnered with Banco Sabadell to provide over €4 million in funding for the launch of 50 vacation rental franchises across Spain. This initiative aims to create over 600 direct jobs and support the professionalization of the Spanish tourism sector, which is the second-largest in Europe for short-stay rental bookings according to Eurostat. Financing options include commercial loans, renting, and credit policies to meet diverse franchisee needs. Chema González, CEO of Alterhome, highlights the importance of adapting to new regulations to ensure success in the evolving market.

🏦 Thomas Cook, after its 2019 bankruptcy, has been acquired by Polish group eSky from Fosun Tourism Group. The acquisition's cost is undisclosed, but CEO Alan French will continue to lead Thomas Cook, aiming to rebuild and grow the brand. eSky, with operations in over 50 countries and 800+ employees, reported over £18 million in profits in 2023, and this move aligns with their strategy to diversify from flight sales to vacation packages in Europe and Latin America.

📌 Gabriel Escarrer, CEO of Meliá and president of Exceltur, criticizes the Spanish government's distribution of Next Generation funds, and neglect of the tourism industry. Despite the sector's potential for modernization, the funds have favored government-friendly companies. Openchip & Software Technologies, with meager revenue, received €111 million and subsequently appointed Therese Jamaa, partner of Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, as VP of Strategic Alliances. The appointment occurred one month after the fund's disbursement, although Openchip denies any influence from her relationship with Albares.

✈ Emirates' A380 thrilled rugby fans with a flypast over Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa during a match between the Springboks and the All Blacks. This echoes a similar event from 1995 when a Boeing 747 from SAA surprised spectators with one of the first commercial aircraft flypasts at a sports event, as shared by user @jordibatlle.

✈ Airmet celebrates its 25th anniversary with initiatives to boost its associated travel agencies, announcing a roadshow across Spain, including cities Santiago de Compostela, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Sevilla, Málaga, Tenerife, and Las Palmas. The "Tour con Altura" aims to address the concerns and trends in the travel sector and reveal new offerings, with collaboration from renowned partners like Turismo de Andalucía, Amadeus, Bedsonline, Costa, Iberia, Intermundial, and W2M.

✈️ Noel Phillips, known as an 'aviation youtuber', shares weekly videos about unique airlines and services. Eastern Airlines, once a leading airline deregulated in the '80s and partly bought by Donald Trump, ceased operations and was forgotten until its brand was sold cheaply in 2009. In 2018, another company bought the brand and unusual routes like Guayaquil, Montevideo, and the Balkans were created, which led to losses. Today, Eastern operates mainly cargo flights but maintains a minimal passenger service with a monthly flight from Miami to Santo Domingo without advertising.

✈ Ryanair's Michael O'Leary urges a ban on selling more than two pints of beer per passenger at airports to curb 'record numbers of disruptive passengers,' often en route to Mediterranean destinations like Ibiza. Wetherspoon, the UK's largest pub chain present at many British airports, where alcohol accounts for a third of sales, counters the claim, highlighting their elimination of airport pub alcoholics and criticizing Ryanair's discounts on Irish whiskey. The public spat between O'Leary and Wetherspoon's controversial owner Tim Martin garners media attention during a slow news period.

🏨 La industria turística ha visto estratégicas fusiones y adquisiciones (M&A) en las últimas tres décadas, resultando en la transformación del sector turístico español. La consolidación en la industria aérea ha sido notable con ejemplos como Delta Airlines y Northwest Airlines (2008), United Airlines y Continental Airlines (2010), y American Airlines y US Airways (2013) en Norteamérica. Latinoamérica ha presenciado la unión de Avianca y TACA (2009) y LAN Airlines y TAM Airlines (2011). En Europa, Air France y KLM (2004), y las aerolíneas del Grupo Lufthansa (desde 2005) destacan. En el sector hotelero, grandes grupos como Marriott, con su fusión con Starwood (2016) por 13.600 millones de dólares y 107 hoteles en España, y adquisiciones como la de Hyatt Hotels por Apple Leisure Group (2021) por 2.300 M€, reflejan la búsqueda de escala y eficiencia. Agencias de viajes y turoperadores no se quedan atrás, con movimientos destacados como Grupo Globalia-Ecuador Viajes (2000), Viajes Iberia-Iberojet (2006), y la fusión de Viajes El

✈ Discover, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, is facing a four-day strike starting on a Tuesday, involving pilots and cabin crew. With 27 aircraft, Discover operates from Munich and Frankfurt mainly covering vacation routes. The strike, affecting all flights departing from Germany, comes amid a labor dispute where unions Cockpit and UFO rejected an agreement, contrasting with Verdi's acceptance. Founded in 2021, Discover is part of Lufthansa's strategic reorganization, which included consolidating various tourism subsidiaries, despite later introducing City, another airline in the group.

✈ Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, labeled Wizz Air's offer of year-round flights for 9 euros after a 499 euro payment a marketing scam. The offer requires tickets to be purchased just three days before the flight, complicating round-trip planning due to EU regulations mandating airlines to communicate with passengers two days before departure. Wizz Air's Yvonne Moynihan refuted O'Leary's claims, stating the promotion sold out quickly and that seats usually remain unsold, which are often sold at a higher price for airline profitability.