Nombramientos

🏖️ Maribel Rodríguez, with over 25 years in the tourism sector, is leaving her position as senior vice president of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) after joining in 2014. She contributed to its diversification in size and geography, and played a key role in bringing the WTTC's annual summit to Madrid in 2015 and Sevilla in 2019. Rodríguez, also president of Women Leading Tourism (WLT), will now focus on international business consultancy and continue her involvement in tourism.

🏨 Hotels.com's report highlights unusual guest requests at luxury hotels worldwide from over 400 establishments. Requests include baths filled with specific branded mineral water, custom pet menus with allergen checks, and midnight hot dogs with caviar. One Marbella hotel guest demanded no women cross his path, while a music star required a bed adorned with white and yellow rose petals despite closed florists.

🏖️ Berta Cabré leads the expanded and renewed board of the Federación Empresarial de Hostelería y Turismo (FEHT) of Tarragona for 2024-2028, aiming to tackle sector challenges. Each member association now contributes two members, with three new territorial delegates for Costa Daurada north, interior, and Terres de l'Ebre. Four specific commissions are created: promotion, talent, sustainability, and communication. Main goals include tourism deseasonalization, sustainable growth, and enhancing service quality.

✈ Lufthansa, under CEO Carsten Sphor, faces criticism for mediocre financial results, a confusing brand strategy with the likes of Discover, and creating a new regional airline. The company is seven years behind in modernizing its business and first-class cabins. Lufthansa is uniquely reliant on inefficient B747 aircraft, a position worsened by the delayed Boeing 777X and costly reactivation of A380s from storage. Concerns also rise over the potential ITA acquisition and German-Italian cultural clashes.

💰 Jubilados han presentado un volumen masivo de quejas sobre la comercialización de los Viajes del Imserso desde el inicio del plazo el 23 de septiembre, dirigidas hacia Ávoris y el propio Imserso. Las plazas más demandadas se agotaron rápidamente, dejando a muchos sin la posibilidad de reservar. Se critica el acceso desigual a reservas entre comunidades, con Galicia en desventaja frente a Madrid y Andalucía. Mayte Sancho, directora del Imserso, atribuye la falta de plazas a una demanda que supera la oferta y señala un régimen de cancelaciones del 40%-45%.

🏖️ The Alianza de Municipios Turísticos Sol y Playa (AMT) met during Turespaña 2024 in Arona, Tenerife, on October 3, 2024. They demanded a more active role in defining Spain's Tourism Strategy 2030, representing nearly 15% of overnight tourists in Spain. AMT, led by Calvià's mayor Juan Antonio Amengual, introduced a new 'Innovative Project in Destination' category at the annual AMT Smart Destinations Awards presented at FITUR, recognizing impactful, novel initiatives in tourism destinations. Formed in 2017, AMT comprises eight pioneering Spanish tourist towns focusing on funding, digitalization, sustainability, accessibility, and collaboration.

📍 Total Linhas Aéreas, a Brazilian airline, needs to compete with a small fleet urgently requiring new aircraft. Unable to procure from Boeing due to its crisis or Airbus because of delays and a long waitlist, Total turned to China's C919. A delegation visited China to evaluate the ARJ21 and the Comac C919, designed in the Far East. Paulo Almada, an airline partner, revealed negotiations for a small order of four aircraft. While the Brazilian Embraer will be available in 2026 with 140 seats, it doesn't meet Total's current needs compared to the A320 and Boeing 737 Max. The C919 awaits international certifications, potentially granted by Europe in 2025.

📝 Víctor Gonzalo de Aldama, former advisor to Air Europa and confidant to Javier Hidalgo, holds key information on three major cases affecting the airline: masks, Venezuelan debt repayment, and an express bailout. He also knows details about Wakalua, dealings with the UNWTO leader, a trip to St. Petersburg, and other murky issues tied to the Koldo scheme and alleged bargains by the Spanish Prime Minister's wife. Aldama, now distanced from the Hidalgo family, has yet to testify in the related court cases. The Hidalgo family regrets their association with Aldama and the UNWTO secretary, revealing a complex backdrop of opaque operations, international trips, and controversial alliances.

🛈 The Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales (Imserso) is sanctioning Turismo social (Ávoris) for breaches during the last travel program season, as announced by the government in response to a query by Agustín Almodóbar, the Popular Party's tourism spokesperson in the Senate. Mayte Sancho, director of Imserso, acknowledged issues with fulfillment, specifically concerning three and four-star hotels. Complaints from pensioners reduced satisfaction and impacted travel agencies' operations and image. Imserso, under the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda, will not renew Ávoris's contract nor activate the second extension, opting for a new public tender.

📍 Virginia Blasco, Luis Dupuy de Lôme, and Teresa García join the Mesa del Turismo as full members. Cinco Estrellas Club, with over 30 years of experience, specializes in cultural trips to destinations like Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey. GEBTA Spain, managing 80% of Spain's corporate business travel, welcomes new companies. Mindhead joins as a Collaborative Company, offering strategic consulting and business growth through innovative proposals. ????