Tendencias del mercado

💸 During the summer, CaixaBank Research reported a slowdown in Spanish tourism spending. In August, leisure and hospitality spending grew by 3.9%, down from 7.7% in 2024. September saw a 3% increase, compared to 4.7% the previous year. Specific sectors like travel agencies and restaurants grew by just 1% and 1.1%, respectively. Economist Zoel Martín noted that third-quarter spending growth in Spain was below the 3.9% recorded in the first half of the year, with inflation remaining high.

🏠 Pensionistas, 7 de octubre, Asturias, Cataluña, y más, arrancó la venta del programa del Imserso. Aumentos de precios hasta 200 euros no disuaden a compradores; ya se superó el volumen de campañas anteriores. Las ventas iniciaron a las 9:00 (8:00 en Canarias). Sin incidentes en plataformas de Mundicolor y Turismo Social. En la edición actual, 879,213 plazas se ofrecen: 50.1% costa peninsular, 25.9% islas, 23.9% turismo de escapada. Próximo turno, 8 de octubre.

💻 Grandes cadenas hoteleras operan 11,000 propiedades con un 78% usando IA; sólo el 7% tiene un plan integral. Encuestas a 370 hoteleros muestran que un 62% carece de experiencia y un 51% carece de estrategia clara. Un 74.5% de hoteles independientes reportan beneficios de IA, con un 25.5% registrando aumentos de ingresos del 6-10%. En EE. UU., 51% de viajeros confían en IA para búsquedas, mientras un 60% de millennials usan IA para planear viajes.

💸 In 2024, Spanish hotel chains continued to benefit from tourism's post-pandemic boom. The Hosteltur ranking included 91 chains, collectively generating €27,004 million, a 9-chain increase from the previous year. Riu Hotels led with over €4,000 million, followed by Meliá and Barceló. Iberostar entered the top 10. Chains like Bypillow and SmartRental saw revenue surges, whereas five chains, including Senator Hotels, experienced declines. Economic factors like inflation and interest rate drops supported industry growth.

🚆 The liberalization of Europe's rail sector is driving unprecedented change, enhancing competition, reducing fares, and boosting digitalization. In France, Paris-Lyon fares dropped 43%, increasing bookings by 334%. Italy saw a near 40% fare reduction on key routes, while Spain experienced double-digit fare drops since 2020. 72% of Europeans want integrated transport tickets. In Spain, 74% support new operators for better service. Barcelona emerges as a key hub, with Lyon (118%) and Sevilla (113%) as top destinations.

🌎 29 de septiembre, Barcelona: En el Foro Acave, se discutió el turismo accesible como una gran oportunidad de negocio. María José Pujol de In&Out Hostel y Alberto Gutiérrez de Autism Friendly Club Global destacaron la importancia de adaptaciones para atraer turismo familiar. Julián Montero de Barcelona Zero Limits enfatizó que el 10% de los españoles tienen alguna discapacidad, transformando un nicho en un mercado masivo. Se subrayó la accesibilidad como inversión y no coste.

🙌 Barcelona, 29th September: At the ACAVE Forum, experts discussed challenges in attracting young talent to travel agencies. Key issues include low salaries, lack of career growth, and unpaid internships, while young professionals seek fair pay, work-life balance, and career development. Between 2021 and 2023, 649,511 young Spaniards emigrated. The industry must redefine its value proposition and offer clear career paths to compete with other sectors and combat the global talent drain.

🏖 Caribbean tourism arrivals rose by nearly 2% in H1 2025, as reported by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), despite a decline in U.S. demand. Hotel daily rates increased by 3% to $424, though occupancy fell to 73%. The region saw 18.5 million arrivals, a 6.1% increase over 2019 levels. The U.S. accounts for half of all tourists. Airbnb listed around 79,500 active rentals across 24 destinations. The CTO conference in Barbados highlighted these trends.

🗺️ CCOO highlights insufficient job growth in Spain's tourism sector, with employment increasing by 63,000 (1.6% in retail, 1.9% in restaurants, 3.5% in lodging) compared to 2024. Despite a 3.9% rise in tourist arrivals and a 7.1% increase in spending, employment grew only 2.8%, below the 4% expected. Salaries lag the national average (€2,026), with hospitality wages at €1,717, restaurant at €1,195, and retail at €1,598, widening the pay gap since 2019.

🏨 Atom Hoteles Socimi reported a 40% increase in profits for the first half of 2025, reaching €43 million. The company distributed €98 million in dividends, including €28 million in July and €70 million in December 2024. Atom manages 23 assets in Spain with 5,572 rooms and completed two divestments. Key projects include refinements at Meliá Valencia and METT Barcelona. Upcoming priorities focus on asset protection, profitability, and ongoing project completion.