Nombramientos

🏡 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.

🏖️ Miguel Fluxá Roselló is characterized as a humble and approachable individual who values simple joys and interpersonal connections, shunning vanity despite his wealth and social status. He views competitors not as enemies but as colleagues, and appreciates those who support him in challenging times. Fluxá, who has built a multinational group through knowledge and perseverance, cherishes family and embodies the spirit of gratitude espoused by Violeta Parra in her music.

💰 On September 7, 2020, little known Víctor Gonzalo de Aldama and Koldo García were involved in an intricate rescue of Air Europa endorsed by José Luis Ábalos, then the Minister of Transport in Spain and a key figure in the Socialist Party. Four years and one month later, the situation resurfaces with allegations of corruption, influence trafficking, and preferential treatment given to Air Europa during the pandemic, drawing in high-level government and PSOE officials. The case is awaiting judicial review.

🏖️ 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.