Nombramientos

🏦 Javier Escriche joins Opentours as a senior management and corporate governance advisor after 15 years as Commercial Director at Valentín Hotels in Spain. His career includes roles at Mundicolor/Iberia, Turimar, Puente del Mundo, and Días Libres-Relax Tours. CEO Ángel Martín notes Escriche's market knowledge and industry relationships will drive group expansion. Escriche is excited to return to tourism intermediation and contribute to the company's digitalization and sector transformation.

📍 Former Canary Islands' Deputy Minister of Tourism (2010-2015) Ricardo Fernández de la Puente Armas appointed as Director of Institutional Relations for Loro Parque, owned by Wolfgang Kiessling. He also served as a Ciudadanos deputy in the Canarian parliament (2019-2023) and worked at Gowaii and as manager at Ashotel. Recently took over as president of CETURS, now focusing on a globally recognized leisure park group including Siam Park.

🚢 Rosana Morillo, formerly Secretary of State for Tourism, joins MSC as Vice President for Governmental Affairs after leaving her role in April last year, succeeded by Rosario Sánchez. Morillo's focus will be strengthening MSC's presence in Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, and other strategic markets. She is recognized for promoting public-private collaboration, sustainable tourism policies, and managing European funds for the sector's post-pandemic recovery. Her prior experience includes negotiating cruise limitations in the Balearics and managing the fallout from Thomas Cook's collapse.

📅 María Teresa Sancho, directora general of Imserso, commits to meeting social tourism program deadlines during CEOE's Tourism Council meeting. Imserso will soon have new tender specs ready, excluding contract extension with Ávoris, who faces a sanctioning file for alleged breaches. Aspirant companies relieved, potential bidders include Ávoris, Mundiplan, Nautalia, SeniorPlan. Proposals discussed for program renewal, addressing remuneration for hotels hosting pensioners (€25-26/night vs. real cost of approx. €34) and agencies selling trips (€14.50/space).

📌 Toni Frau, former General Manager of Traveltool (part of Viajes El Corte Inglés), joins Ávoris' team during a tense period between the two major travel companies due to disputes over Imserso commercial issues. Frau, after 14+ years at Traveltool since January 2011 and a 25-year tenure at the now-defunct Orizonia, takes on this new position as Ávoris focuses on agency business, including nearly 500 offices from groups like Geomoon, Gea, and soon Dit Gestión. Ávoris' agency division is led by Endika Ormaeche. Traveltool joined Viajes El Corte Inglés in October 2021 following the integration of Logitravel.

📍 World2Meet (W2M) aims to expand the business of its associated travel agencies nationally and internationally, appointing Jesús Juárez to lead the newly established general management of associated agencies. Juárez, who founded ByTour, joined W2M as an advisor after its acquisition in June 2022 and now joins the executive team under Gabriel Subías. With nearly 30 years in the travel agency sector, Juárez's prominent roles included operations director at Viajes Marsans since 1996 and general director at Halcón Viajes until his departure from Globalia in 2014. He founded ByTour, serving as CEO until the sale to W2M in 2022.

💰 Ignacio González, with over 25 years in tourism, was appointed as the new General Director of Consultia Business Travel, a Spanish company specializing in comprehensive business travel management. González previously served as Business Development Director at RACE since November 2023 and held positions at Globalia Corporate Travel, BCD Travel, Viajes Barceló, Viajes Crisol (Grupo Marsans), and Ilunion Viajes. He will report to CEO and founder Juan Manuel Baixauli, focusing on the growth and consolidation of the firm.

✈ Lufthansa Group relaunches tourism packages as "Eurowings Holidays", a new tour operator registered in Cologne, starting April 1, as per an official statement.

🏡 Marco Táboas, appointed in December, replaces Susanna Sciacovelli as the new Insular Director of Tourism for Demand and Hospitality. Táboas, with a career in digital transformation and strategic leadership in tourism and industry, has served as regional and commercial director for Selina Hotels in EMEA since April 2024. He has held various roles including Director Online at Ávoris Corporación Empresarial and Head of Digital at Halcón Viajes. Sciacovelli was named for the position in June 2023 by the Insular Tourism Minister of Mallorca, Marcial Rodriguez.

💸 Lastminute.com reported a 34% year-over-year increase in dynamic package segment revenues, reaching €62.5 million in Q4 2024. Gross profit improved by 6% to €26.1 million, with adjusted EBITDA growing 135% compared to 2023. The online travel agency's take rate for dynamic packages hit a record 10.3%, boosting profitability to 13.8%—a 1.6 percentage point increase from the previous year. Overall, in 2024, despite a 2% annual revenue drop to €313.7 million, the company's net result doubled to €15.7 million, with EBIT up 84% to €25.2 million, and earnings per share increasing from €0.65 to €1.47.