Nombramientos

🚀 IAG, which includes Iberia, Vueling, British Airways, and Aer Lingus, saw its market value plummet in March 2020 due to COVID-19. Luis Gallego took over as CEO in September 2020 amid the pandemic. On a Friday, IAG reported a 7% surge in stock prices following the announcement of summer economic results, with a 15% increase in profits from 1.67 to 2 billion, and launched an immediate share buyback. Despite progress, IAG's value still trails 2019 levels and the company grapples with pandemic-induced debt.

🏖️ Natalia Bayona, Executive Director at UN Tourism since 2016, anticipates a 3% growth above 2019 pre-pandemic figures by the end of 2024. Europe leads with 54% of international tourism, with exceptional growth seen in the Middle East, specifically Qatar post-FIFA World Cup 2022, and Saudi Arabia. Notable rises in tourism in Latin America include El Salvador at over 30% and Colombia at 24%. Asia-Pacific shows recovery, with China enacting new visa policies. Protests for sustainable tourism models and the importance of education are highlighted. The sector employs many young people, with 54% of the workforce being women, yet they are underrepresented in leadership roles. UN Tourism pushes for education reforms, including incorporating tourism in school curricula and offering 2,000 online scholarships in 2024.

❄ Cantabria's Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sport reached a 3-year agreement, extendable based on performance, with Snö Hotels for managing Hotel La Corza Blanca and the winter station's dining services in Alto Campoo. The 3-star hotel has 68 rooms, a restaurant, café, solarium terrace, and sauna. Luis Martínez Abad aims to boost local tourism and economy while reducing seasonality. Snö Hotels, now with 950 hotel places and 60 apartments totaling approximately 2,500 beds, plans to open nine months a year, up from the current three, and generate local employment without impacting Cantur's current staff. The chain has a presence in high mountain resorts across the Catalan and Aragonese Pyrenees.

💰 Fergus Group appoints Ignacio Sanguino as Director of Expansion, joining from Iberostar. With over a decade in hospitality, the group boasts 30 hotels across key Spanish coastal destinations including Andalucía, Cataluña, Canarias, and Islas Baleares. Planning to debut three hotels in Menorca by 2025 and upgrade Punta Arabí Resort in Ibiza to 4 stars, Fergus Group projects €204 million in revenue and €87 million in GOP, marking an 88% growth over three years.

🏨 Carolina Quetglas, president of the Agrupación de Cadenas Hoteleras (ACH), is recognized for her clear leadership and simple language addressing housing, mobility, and training issues in Baleares. She advocates for ending illegal vacation rentals, promoting multimodality, and managing rather than limiting cruises. Quetglas' authority is contrasted with other sector leaders and political figures in Spain, emphasizing the need for sensitivity in hotel management pronouncements amid societal scrutiny and political challenges.

✈ Iberia is negotiating an employment regulation file (ERE) to ensure the viability of its handling division, South, after losing licenses at eight major Spanish airports. The negotiating table was established on October 31, with the next meeting scheduled for November 7, aiming to conclude by November 27. The company plans to disengage 1,727 workers by December 31, 2026, out of a total workforce of 8,200. Initially, 792 layoffs will occur at airports where Iberia lost its handling agent status, and 935 more will be from its wider network. South began operations on May 16, transitioning around 8,200 employees from Iberia Airport Services to the new company, 100% owned by IAG with a majority by Iberia.

😷 Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UNWTO, drafted a letter to Aena's president, Maurici Lucena, promoting Megalab's PCR system for Madrid-Barajas Airport. The system, not yet established in Spanish airports, was later implemented by Megalab in Canarias and Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport. Víctor de Aldama used connections with government members and influential figures to benefit Air Europa. Aena sources claim never to have received the letter, resulting in no response to the proposal.

🏨 Gabriel García Alonso was unanimously re-elected as President of the Asociación Empresarial Hotelera de Madrid (AEHM) for the next four years. AEHM represents over 300 establishments of various categories and sizes in the Community of Madrid. Alonso will have the support of the newly constituted Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and Executive Vice President Mar de Miguel, following an event at the Hotel Four Seasons in Madrid. AEHM advocates for its members with public administrations and private institutions.

🏡 Grupo Piñero completed a strategic alliance with Hyatt by selling 50% of the Bahía Príncipe operator and brand. Previously, Piñero had partnered their tour operator Soltour with Viajes El Corte Inglés and integrated Europamundo and Tui Spain. Additionally, in Spain, hotel operations were transferred to Fergus under the Tent brand. The focus shifts to property ownership, seeking partners for innovation and expansion, emulating Riu's model with Tui. Hyatt's Caribbean presence grows, outpacing Marriott, IHG, and others in the region.

🛫 Dunedin Airport in New Zealand limits farewell hugs to three minutes. The unusual rule applies only to departing travelers. No penalties are enforced, and the rule aims to improve traffic flow by avoiding car queues. The airport's CEO Daniel de Bono suggests 20 seconds for a hug to release the "love hormone." The policy has received mixed reactions on social media, with many humorous comments.