Top News

📊 Eva Blasco of CEAV introduced a panel on NDC, a major concern for agencies due to airline adoption. Pedro Fiol of Aviba described NDC's imposition as challenging. Paloma Sanz of Iberia noted a significant uptake, with over 75% in vacation and 24% in corporate segments. More than 10,000 daily bookings are made through NDC, and 75% of Spain's Ibex 35 companies use it, some with over 40% adoption. Marcos Arquellada of Amadeus reported an airline added every three months, emphasizing close work with travel agencies.

🌟 In October, Spain's hotels amassed over 630,000 bookings and 3.8 million nights. Baleares and Canarias outperform 2023 figures; peninsula hotels 25% shy of last October's bookings. Short stays of 1-2 nights and half-board demand surge. Baleares nearly matches 2023 with an 8% uptick in stays, favoring 4-star hotels (70% of bookings) and half-board. Popular Baleares zones include Playa de Palma and Cala Millor. Canarias beats October 2023 by 5% in bookings, with 4-star hotels leading (68.5%) and half-board on the rise. Top Canarias areas are Maspalomas and Costa Adeje. Peninsula hotels trail last October by 31%; however, 4-star accommodations dominate at 84.5%, and online agencies contribute 37.7% to bookings, with Booking.com as a key channel.

📈 Ingrid Graells Paul, as TTC president, participated in the 12th #ForumTurisTIC, discussing digital transformation in tourism and the value of data. The EU's 2020 strategy aims to create secure data spaces for companies to safely share information. The TTC, over 80 'traveltech' organizations in Catalonia, sees this as a strategic decision-making and growth opportunity. Cloud computing infrastructures are vital for data management and fostering innovation. The TTC is engaging in collaborations, including with Huawei Cloud. The event took place at the Paraninfo of the Diputació de Barcelona, organized by Eurecat and other local authorities.

🌏 The "Una visión del turismo sostenible en las islas" declaration, advocated by the Canary Islands Government, was unanimously approved by the CRPM Island Commission of the European Union. The meeting took place in Gozo, Malta, with the goal of integrating the proposals into the EU's new legislative roadmap. Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo highlighted the challenges of population growth and spreading tourism benefits among all residents. The region calls for an EU-wide "global plan" towards sustainable tourism, addressing land use, resource management, housing issues, transport policies, environmental protection, and energy production.

📌 Cloudbeds, a leader in hotel management software, and Mirai, a leader in hotel distribution technology and direct booking optimization, announced a strategic partnership aimed at transforming hotel reservations, distribution, and marketing initiatives. This alliance will provide advanced tools for direct booking optimization, operational streamlining, and digital marketing campaign expansion. The integration of Cloudbeds' property management system (PMS) and Mirai's technology will give Cloudbeds' properties access to Mirai's robust distribution network and marketing tools. Mirai's services will be extended to more properties, offering unique solutions for specific market needs. Cloudbeds, founded in 2012, serves tens of thousands of properties in over 150 countries, named best PMS and Channel Manager (2021-2024) by Hotel Tech Report, and best global PMS provider (2022) by World Travel Awards. It was also recognized in Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 in 2023. Mirai, with over 25 years of experience and more than 3,900 hotels as clients, offers a suite of services for maximizing direct sales and reducing distribution costs.

🏖️ In Spain, more than 64 million international tourists were recorded by August, marking a Frontur record for the period and signaling another successful year for 2024. The IV Convención de Turespaña, held in Tenerife, highlighted that 2025 looks promising, yet social issues and geopolitical realities need attention. Meliá Hotels International plans to open 30 hotels annually and aims to be the top company for attracting, retaining, and training talent. Gabriel Escarrer, Meliá's CEO, highlighted the importance of sustainability, talent management, and innovation. 56 hotels were traded in Spain in the first half of the year, with an investment totaling €1.6 billion, 54% of which concentrated in Baleares and Barcelona.

🏆 Emirates pilots expertly landed an Airbus A380 at Birmingham Airport, England, despite extreme weather including hurricane-force winds and heavy rain. The remarkable landing was captured on video and showcased by YouTube's Airport Action channel.

🏖️ Spain saw an 11.2% increase in international tourists during the first eight months of the year, with over 64.3 million visitors. The UK, France, and Germany were the top sources, contributing 12.7 million, 9.2 million, and 8.0 million tourists, respectively. Tourist expenditure rose by 17.6% to €86.471 billion. Additionally, one-day visitor numbers grew by 9%, totaling 29.4 million. Combining overnight tourists and day visitors, Spain hosted 93.7 million international travelers from January to August.

📍 Marga Prohens, presidenta balear, confirmed the ecotasa (tourist tax) will increase during peak season months: June, July, August, to manage tourist flows. A decree law, to be passed in February next year, includes the increase and also a decrease in December, January, February to boost off-season tourism. Residents will be exempt from the ecotasa but can claim it back on their tax return if staying in hotels. Further, a ban on tourist rentals in multi-family houses will be pursued post-moratorium, targeting tourist saturation and aiding resident-tourist cohabitation. A water levy hike for large consumers, including hotels, is planned, with small consumers seeing a reduction.

🏖 España welcomed over 64.3 million foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2024, marking an 11.2% increase from the previous year. In August alone, 10.9 million travelers arrived—a 7.3% rise compared to August 2023. Tourist spending surged by 17.6% to €86.471 billion by August. Top sources were the UK (12.7 million, up 7.8%), France (9.2 million, up 10.1%), and Germany (8 million, up 9.3%). Catalonia, Balearic Islands, and Canary Islands were the most visited regions, with 13.7 million (up 9.7%), 11.2 million (up 6.2%), and 9.9 million tourists (up 10.3%), respectively.