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🎫 Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, praised Grupo Preferente's defense of tourism and thanked the tribute to his late father, Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, at Fitur's traditional award ceremony. A 'Oscar' like artwork by Joan Ramis Sineu, signed by friends and colleagues from the tourism sector, was presented. Around 400 attendees gathered for the event, highlighted by the President of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, who commended Grupo Preferente's unwavering support and defense of tourism with excellence.

🏕 The 45th edition of Fitur starts today, with the tourism sector on the rebound post-pandemic with strong recovery. At Ifema's exhibition halls, where the event takes place, major Spanish tourism companies have launched their stands featuring innovative designs. Fitur expects over 250,000 visitors, with 9,500 companies, 884 exhibitors, and representatives from 156 countries participating in the five-day event.

🏕 The report "Contribución del turismo al desarrollo territorial en España" by Competur was presented yesterday, revealing tourism's positive correlation with public services and population retention, especially in rural Spain. About 5 million Spanish workers are employed in tourism-related sectors, nearly 25% of Spain's total employment. A thousand tourists in Spain create an average of 3.3 hospitality jobs, 0.4 in restaurants, 0.5 in travel agencies, and 4.9 in rental and transport. Municipalities gain €0.58 per capita in revenue and spend €0.56 per capita per thousand tourists. Spain has 1,300 municipalities without bars/restaurants and 2,700 with just one. Tourism supports educational centers, pharmacies, and bank branches in rural areas, reducing the risk of depopulation.

🏖 Viajes El Corte Inglés, Spain's market leader, incentivizes travel agents for selling Tui (0.80%), Newblue (0.70%), and Icarion (0.70%) products, excluding its own brands. Over 500 agencies are seeing increased sales, while incentives for Ávoris products were removed. Other incentives include Soltour (0.10%), Panavisión (0.15%), and Mapa Tours (0.15%). Higher incentives are given for Tourmundial and Club de Vacaciones packages (1%-1.20%) and Muchosol accommodations.

🏨 España cerró 2024 con 94 millones de turistas internacionales, un aumento del 10% respecto al año anterior. Inversiones en el sector hotelero desde 2020 alcanzaron más de 17.000 millones de euros, con 60% en activos individuales. En 2024, se invirtieron 3.330 millones de euros, con un enfoque en activos urbanos (52%). El año marcó un récord en transacciones individuales, totalizando 2.452 millones de euros. Seis operaciones destacadas equivalen a 751 millones de euros. Los inversores nacionales lideraron 75% de las compras, con grupos hoteleros españoles invirtiendo 809 millones de euros.

🔔 Sercotel will participate in a roundtable titled "Hotel Franchises in Spain: keys to understanding an evolving market" at Fitur on Wednesday, January 22 at 3:00 PM in the Hotel Trends Arena, stand 8D26, organized by BeonX and Hotelverse. The 40-minute discussion will feature Pablo Fernández from Sercotel, Rafael Soria of Meliá Hotels International, Alfonso Murillo from Panoram Hotel Management, moderated by Antonia Aguiló of Belvera Partners. They will explore trends, challenges, opportunities, market entry barriers, franchising solutions, brand powers, and growth expectations in the hotel franchise sector.

🍽 International tourists in Spain spent over €17 billion (€17,232 million) on culinary experiences in 2023, up by 24% from pre-pandemic levels. The per capita spending increased from €166.4 in 2017 to €202.3 in 2023, a 21.7% rise. Gastronomy is a key motivator for luxury and premium tourists, contributing to the local economy and cultural connection. Spain boasts 377 Denominations of Origin, 291 Michelin-starred restaurants, 792 Repsol Suns, and 36 wine routes. The gastronomy sector impacted 27% of Spain's GDP, contributing €374.575 billion and maintaining 7.2 million jobs.

📈 Antonia Aguiló, account director at Belvera Partners, offers a personal reflection on the challenges that introverted professionals face at industry events like Fitur 2025, occurring in Madrid in the coming days. Fitur, Spain's leading tourism fair, now in its 45th edition, had 250,000 visitors last year, with 153,000 professionals. Aguiló, an introvert, has navigated international fairs and built valuable connections without being the most extroverted. Successful introverts like Bill Gates, Marissa Mayer, and Angela Merkel have thrived in competitive environments. Aguiló emphasizes the importance of planning and introspection for introverts to succeed at events like Fitur, especially during the fourth week of January.

🏖️ Canarias welcomed nearly 18 million tourists in 2024, who spent €24 billion, including domestic tourism. This was an increase of €2 billion from the previous year. The average tourist spending rose by 26% since 2019 to €1,416. Increases in expenditure were noted in accommodations (27%), inter-island fares (39%), public transportation (34%), vehicle rentals (64%), restaurants and cafés (46%), and supermarkets (24%). Tourist activities and experiences surged, notably in leisure parks (83%) and health-related activities (78%). Flight prices increased by 20%, yet represented 28% of total tourist spending, with 42% on accommodations. The British market thrived, with significant growth in Italian (68%) and French (55.7%) tourism. The domestic market nearly reached 2 million visitors in 2024, with a 12.7% increase in winter air connectivity compared to the previous year and a predicted 6.1% increase for the summer.

🏖️ In 2025, Sergestur presented the "150+ Influential" list in the tourism sector at Fitur, with more women in leadership roles. A Catalan family declined a €95 million offer for their hotel in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. A luxury lifestyle hotel brand announced its debut in Latin America with Hyatt and Acciona. Magic Costa Blanca and Grupo Fuertes invested €80 million in the Valencian Community for three projects, including two themed hotels. Mabrian's analysis forecasts Asia, Oceania, the Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa as trendy destinations in early 2025. The Hosteltur Ranking showed Spanish hotel chains expanding internationally in 2024. Morocco surpassed its tourism goal with 17.4 million visitors in 2024, a 20% increase from 2023. On January 13, a strike in Belgium caused 40% of Brussels' flights to be grounded. NH's expansion included purchasing five hotels in Portugal for €133.2 million and four in Brazil for €212 million. Paris led European cities in Airbnb density with approximately 45 listings per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024, followed by two Italian cities and four Spanish cities; data by Statista and Inside Airbnb visualized on an interactive map and infographic.