Tendencias del mercado

✈ Lufthansa positioned as the top candidate to acquire 20% of Air Europa, surpassing Air France-KLM. Javier Hidalgo aims to close the deal in February, preferring a European partner, after Lufthansa recently bought 41% of ITA Airways for €325 million. CEO Carsten Spohr discussed the potential purchase at Globalia's Mallorca headquarters in September. Lufthansa is attracted by Air Europa's strong Latin American presence, lower operational costs, and Mallorca base. Javier Hidalgo seeks a €240 million investment from the new partner and a €235 million loan to repay a €475 million debt to SEPI.

🏠 The wellness tourism trend focusing on a holistic approach is expected to be significant by 2025, with transformative experiences aimed at self-reconnection. Costa Rica and Peru emerge as wellness destinations in Latin America, as per Marriott International. Marriott's recommendations for 2025 in these countries include the Cacao Ceremony, ancestral medicinal herbs practices, sound healing sessions, forest bathing, ocean healing properties, and the Quechua gratitude ceremony—all combining ancient traditions and natural healing.

🏨 Gabriel Escarrer, Meliá's CEO, raised concerns about Spain's 94 million foreign tourists in the past year and politicians' targets of 100 million. He noted a positive 10% increase in visitors with a 16% higher spend per tourist. Escarrer suggested focusing on quality tourism and extending seasonal operations in places like Menorca or Mallorca, currently 7-8 months, to 10-11 months. Contrarily, Industry and Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu praised the record tourism figures for 2024. Escarrer also criticized platforms like Airbnb for listing over 90% unlicensed apartments in Madrid due to insufficient inspectors.

🏖️ La industria turística atiende a viajeros en transporte, hospitalidad, ocio y promoción de destinos, impactando economías locales y globales. Incluye profesionales como guías, agentes de viajes y hoteleros y se adapta a tendencias cambiantes. Sectores clave abarcan transporte (aviones, trenes, autobuses, automóviles, cruceros), alojamiento (hoteles, hostales, alquileres, campings), gastronomía (restaurantes, bares, cafeterías), entretenimiento (parques temáticos, museos, eventos) y agencias de viajes/OTAs. Tipos de turismo van desde cultural, recreativo, de negocios, sostenible, de aventura hasta culinario, deportivo, rural, religioso, de salud, de lujo y educativo. Tendencias emergentes incluyen viajes sostenibles, experiencias personalizadas, tecnología inmersiva (VR/AR), microescapadas, turismo wellness, nómadas digitales, turismo inclusivo y accesible, turismo regenerativo, viajes en solitario y turismo de cine y series.

💵 Ávoris aims for a turnover of €4.8 billion in 2025, over a 10% increase, with an EBITDA target of €80 million. In 2024, the company achieved an EBITDA of €46 million and a turnover of €4.4 billion, up 14%. Business growth exceeded expectations by more than €10 million. Post-fusion with Globalia's travel division, the combined organization grew to 6,000 employees. Ávoris is also seeking acquisitions to expand market presence, focusing on strategic countries like Mexico, Spain, Egypt, Costa Rica, Thailand, and Morocco.

🏖️ In 2024, a Yougov survey revealed that 65% of Spanish and 58% of French tourists rated their travel experience in Spain 9-10 out of 10, while German satisfaction was lower at 45%. Critical factors affecting ratings were accommodation prices, customer service quality, and destination accessibility—all scoring 71% positive, 23% indifferent, and 6% negative. Data from 1,600 travelers surveyed in September post-summer travel indicates peak season issues such as staff shortages could affect service satisfaction.

🛫 Atlanta remains the world's busiest airport in 2024 with nearly 63 million passengers, despite a 1% drop over six years. Dubai ranks second with a 12% increase from 2019, reaching 60 million passengers. Tokyo's Haneda is third with 55 million, while London Heathrow is the only European airport in the top ten, at fourth with 51 million. U.S. airports Dallas and Denver are fifth and sixth, around 50 million, with Chicago in tenth place. Guangzhou leads Chinese airports, followed by Shanghai in ninth. Istanbul's airport is the world's eighth busiest.

🏨 In Spain, five-star hotels once held a prestigious status akin to cathedrals, presenting luxury dining and wedding venues. However, their exclusivity has diminished, with some streets now boasting multiple five-star establishments. To stand out, hotels add descriptors like "Plus," "Gran Lujo," or "Collection." One- and two-star hotels have nearly vanished, with three-star hotels becoming the baseline for affordability and functionality, exemplified by chains like Ibis. Hotel star inflation has even led to claims of seven-star quality, indicating a potential shift towards a ten-star system correlating with increased expectations, similar to the automotive industry's growth.

📌 Over 1,300 workers at South, formerly Iberia Airport Services, applied for voluntary early retirement by December 27th deadline after an agreement with unions. In its first meeting on January 17, 2025, the follow-up commission began to process these applications, starting with a third. South's CEO, Miguel Ángel Gimeno, is pleased with the response. The company, part of IAG and predominantly owned by Iberia, will implement a Workforce Adjustment Plan (ERE) affecting 1,499 employees, who will receive 50% of their average salary from the previous 12 months and a special agreement up to age 65, including payment of a 4.70% unemployment insurance contribution. South employs over 8,400 people.

✈ Ryanair announces significant cutbacks at Spanish regional airports in response to high fees from Aena, ceasing operations in Jerez and Valladolid, and reducing flights in Vigo (-61%/40,000 seats), Santiago (-28%), Zaragoza (-20%), Asturias (-11%), and Santander (-5%). More than 8 million seats will be cut, slashing capacity by 18% and eliminating 12 routes, impacting regional connectivity, jobs, and tourism. Despite this, Ryanair plans to increase seats by 1.5 million at Spain's busiest airports in the summer of 2025. CEO Eddie Wilson criticizes Aena for not incentivizing airlines and plans to reallocate resources to more competitive European markets.