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🛂 Starting April 2025, the UK will require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for EU travelers for tourism, business visits, and students staying under six months. Announced in 2023, the ETA application opens on March 5, 2023, with a cost of £10 (nearly €12). A second consecutive day of strikes at Belgium's second-largest airport, Charleroi, used by low-cost airlines like Ryanair and Wizzair, results in 186 flights canceled, affecting 30,000 passengers. Millenium settles a dispute with former president and CEO Javier Illán with an €18 million agreement, selling non-strategic assets valued at €6.3 million, leading to an €11.7 million consolidated profit.

🏖️ Mundiplan launched their senior tourism program on September 12, outpacing Imserso's trips by 11 days, which start on September 23. Offering over 100,000 spots at competitive prices for both national and international destinations, Mundiplan features 42 hotels in destinations like the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Andalusia, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community, with options ranging from all-inclusive resorts to spa and yoga retreats.

📈 Organizado por Turismo de Gran Canaria y HOSTELTUR, el Overbooking Gran Canaria & Hosteltur Summit 2024 es un evento clave en marketing turístico. Más de 400 personas se inscribieron para el encuentro, que contará con expertos como Jorge Schoenenberger (WinningBoards, Traveltech.vc), Pere Vallés (CEO de Exoticca), y Ricardo Fernández (CEO de Destinia), entre otros. El foro debatirá temas como inteligencia artificial en turismo y cambios de consumo, dos años tras el lanzamiento de ChatGPT.

🏖 Club de Vacaciones, part of Viajes El Corte Inglés group, launches sales for its 'Vacaciones Económicas' program for travelers over 60, two weeks before the Imserso program starts on September 23. Travel period spans from September 2024 to June 2025. Prices start at 170 euros per person for a 6-day trip, including destinations both domestic and international, with designed itineraries, local guides, and no waiting lists or accreditation needed. Offers include special departures from various Spanish cities, flights, 4-star full board hotels, transfers, and travel insurance. Destinations cover popular spots like Benidorm, Costa Brava, and international locations such as Portugal and Thailand, with thematic circuits like the Camino de Santiago available.

💰 Over 886,000 tourist packages may be affected by a new control system according to UNAV's manager Iván Méndez. The Imserso tourism program's booking commences on September 23rd or 25th, depending on the region, with the new registration system expected to launch on October 1st. CEAV's vice president José Manuel Lastra anticipates booking issues due to the SES.HOSPEDAJES platform's malfunctions. Agencies, primarily micro and small enterprises, lack the resources to comply with Real Decree 933/2021. Potential legal sanctions for non-compliance could reach €30,000.

🛡 Gabriel Escarrer, President of Meliá, and Luis Riu, CEO of Riu Hotels, attribute the recent mass tourism and local discontent in Spain to illegal tourist offerings. They urge for immediate solutions against illegal rentals, which they consider a primary cause of overcrowding. In Barcelona, a 5-year plan to eliminate tourist apartments in residential buildings is already underway. Escarrer highlights the negative impact of unregulated vacation homes compared to hotels and calls for an overhaul of illegal offerings to preserve Spain's reputation. Riu emphasizes the urgency of addressing over-tourism, exacerbated by unregulated private rentals that ignore hotel moratoriums and increase visitor numbers without proper controls.

🏠 Overbooking Gran Canaria & Hosteltur Summit 2024 will be held on September 12 at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Carlos Álamo, Tourism Councilor of Gran Canaria, announced the 12th edition during a press conference, emphasizing the forum's role in enhancing the island's tourism competitiveness. With Hosteltur joining, the event has seen over 400 registrations, including over 200 first-timers. Sector-wise, accommodation and marketing professionals make up nearly 20%, with tourism promotion organizations at 16.5%. The summit focuses on "Transformative Marketing" and offers a comprehensive program for national and international industry professionals. It also fosters networking and knowledge exchange, aiming to adapt to the accelerating era and changing traveler needs. An exhibition will run parallel to the conferences, showcasing relevant industry activities.

🏢 Barcelona hosts 100 congresses and trade fairs from September to December 2024, with 20 medical and tech events drawing over 100,000 visitors. Venues include Montjuïc, Gran Via, and the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB). The ESMO Congress will gather more than 30,000 professionals at Gran Via. Other notable tech events are Smart City Expo World Congress and VMware Explore Europe, both in November at Gran Via, while DrupalCon Barcelona occurs in September at CCIB. Fira de Barcelona will have organized over 270 events by year-end, including ISE, MWC Barcelona, and more.

💸 Preparación para una crisis empresarial incluye evaluación de riesgos, desarrollo de un plan de continuidad y un plan de comunicación de crisis para asegurar la resiliencia del negocio. En respuesta a la crisis, activar el plan de inmediato es crucial, así como mantener una comunicación constante y mitigar el daño. Post-crisis, se debe evaluar la gestión de la crisis, aprender de ella y mejorar los planes. Estos pasos fortalecerán la recuperación y la reputación del negocio, asegurando su éxito a largo plazo.

📍 En España, el turismo funciona como un motor económico todo el año, con destinos como las Islas Canarias y el sur peninsular atrayendo visitantes continuos. El sector turístico enfrenta un ecosistema de pagos complejo: según el Informe Retail Report de Adyen 2023, el 12% de las empresas de hostelería españolas utilizan diferentes proveedores para distintas modalidades de pago. La automatización de pagos en el sector hotelero de lujo ha mejorado la eficiencia operativa y la experiencia del cliente, evidenciado por Belmond con la introducción de soluciones de Adyen como el check-in móvil. Además, en Europa, 6 de cada 10 consumidores utilizan OTA como Booking.com para reservas turísticas.