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🎁 The Global Revenue Forum, co-organized by Pablo Torres and Cristina Blaj, will be held in Madrid for the first time on June 4. Pablo Torres leads Torres Consulting with 25+ years in revenue management, while Cristina is the founder of Open Revenue Consulting. The Forum was previously held in cities like London, Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Paris. The Madrid event will feature 35 presentations in one day across three simultaneous venues, including Madrid, Paris, and Amsterdam. Presentations will be in Spanish and English, addressing topics beyond traditional revenue management, such as sustainability, strategy, and operational planning. The forum targets hospitality professionals and aims to foster a collaborative understanding of revenue. It will also be Spain's first "zero waste" event, aligning with new laws on food waste prevention and implementing "The Pledge on Food Waste" protocol. Keynote speaker Conor Neill will open the event with a talk on persuasive communication for revenue managers. Nearly 300 professionals are expected to attend, with parallel sessions, networking opportunities, and a pre-event dinner for industry leaders.

🏨 Meliá Hotels International leads Spanish hotel chains' global presence, with 58,822 international rooms up to 2024, growing significantly since 1985. Minor Hotels Europe & America holds 44,789 rooms, stable since 2013. Barceló Hotel Group, with 44,640 rooms, expanded notably in the U.S. and Mexico after acquiring Occidental Hoteles in 2015. Riu Hotels & Resorts ranks fourth with approximately 40,000 rooms. Iberostar Hotels & Resorts rounds out the top five, holding 21,601 international rooms, stabilizing post-2018 decrease from a peak of 31,186.

📅 Beroni participó en el Congress Tecno Travel Agency el 8 y 9 de mayo en Madrid, organizado por UNAV. Cerca de 200 profesionales debatieron sobre el futuro de las agencias de viajes. Ingrid Graells Paul destacó en mesas sobre tecnología en gestión y ciberseguridad. Se discutieron desafíos tecnológicos y la importancia de la inteligencia artificial. El asistente virtual M.A.R.C.O. fue una innovación sobresaliente. El evento reafirmó el compromiso de Beroni con la transformación digital del turismo.

🛡 ASAE, the main union among the 1,100 Aena employees at Barajas Airport, demands that the Ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, address the crisis of approximately 500 homeless people living at the airport for months. The union insists on an immediate eviction, warning of a lawless zone in Barajas' parking and calling for cooperation among Madrid City Council, Government Delegation, Community of Madrid, relevant Ministries, and Aena to solve the issue.

🏆 21-28 May 2025, Bilbao and Wroclaw, key sports event cities. Kiwi.com reports a 500% increase in UK-Bilbao travel bookings by 19 May; 20x increase on 20 May. Post-Manchester semifinals, Bilbao searches spiked 160x and 25x. Tottenham’s games led to a 154x search surge from London. Wroclaw sees 35x Spanish search jump for Betis’s historic final. Football spurs tourism—Barcelona to Milan searches rose 500% in April. Supercopa boosted Spain-Saudi travel by 24%.

📍 Korean Air will establish a pilot direct connection between Málaga and Seoul in October, consisting of four round-trip charter flights. The operation involves Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with 291 seats in three classes. Estimated economic impact in Andalucía: €4.277.700, with Granada and Sevilla each receiving about €1.200.000, and Cádiz €611.000. This initiative is a result of tourism promotion efforts in South Korea by Málaga's tourism division.

🏨 Union Investment sold Barceló Raval hotel to German fund Real I.S. for approximately €70 million. Barceló Hotel Group, which opened the 4-star superior hotel in 2008 in Barcelona's old town, continues to manage the establishment featuring 182 rooms and 4 suites. In 2012, Barceló sold assets including Barceló Raval valued at €40 million. Real I.S.'s acquisition was financed by Deutsche Hypo - NORD/LB Real Estate Finance with advisory from Linklaters Madrid, Noerr Munich, BDO Madrid, Arcadis Madrid, and Savills. Union Investment received legal and fiscal advice from Pérez-Llorca Madrid and Colliers Spain for intermediation.

🎉 During Sevilla's Feria de Abril (5-11 May), hotel average daily rates (ADR) rose 7% from €341 in 2024 to €366 in 2025. Reservation volumes per accommodation grew by 12% year-over-year. Comparing the same period in 2024 and 2025, ADR jumped 42% from €257.5 to €366, and bookings increased by 18.3%. Booking lead times extended from 79.1 days in advance in 2024 to 99.8 days in 2025, a 26.2% rise.

📰 Travel plans in Europe for summer 2025 might be influenced by three key factors: tariff wars and Donald Trump's policies, a sluggish economy with a projected GDP growth of 0.9%, and increasing fears of a military conflict. The European Travel Commission reports a slight decrease in travel intentions among Europeans compared to the previous year, with 72% planning to travel between April and September 2025. However, the travel sector remains resilient with 42% planning vacations of 7-12 nights and 27% intending to take three or more trips. The strongest travel intentions are in Poland (80%), the United Kingdom (79%), the Netherlands (75%), Spain (75%), and Italy (73%). On the contrary, France (65%), Belgium (68%), Austria (69%), Switzerland (69%), and Germany (70%) show less inclination to travel. Destinations considered close and safe are expected to benefit, with a growing interest in quality-price ratio and off-season travel. The report also suggests a possible shift towards domestic and short-distance tourism due to tighter travel budgets and safety concerns, with Spain (6.5%), Italy (6.0%), and France (5.9%) topping the preferred destinations. Fear of a military conflict could influence cautiousness regarding long-distance or out-of-continent travel, reinforcing the trend towards intra-European travel.

📝 Next Monday, the Spanish Senate will debate a motion by the Partido Popular to stop fake reviews on digital tourism platforms, focusing on the hospitality sector. PP's Tourism spokesperson, Agustín Almodóbar, states fake reviews can cause a restaurant to lose up to 30% of reservations in a week. Proposed actions include ending anonymity in reviews, requiring platforms to verify that reviews come from actual customers, imposing penalties for fraudulent accounts, conducting periodic external audits, and establishing a public ranking system for platforms that adhere to high standards in opinion management and data protection. The motion aims to ensure a fair market prioritizing authenticity, quality, and consumer protection, addressing the digital challenges that outpace current legal frameworks.