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🏨 Employment in Spanish hotels grew by 7% last year, reaching 244,222 workers. There are 14,613 hotels and hostels, with 365 five-star hotels providing about 52,800 rooms and 40,800 employees in total, averaging 144 rooms and 112 employees per establishment. The employee-to-room ratio for five-star hotels is approximately 0.77, double that of four-star hotels, which have a 0.37 ratio. Luxury hotels offer more personalized services, difficult to replace with AI, emphasizing face-to-face attention.

🏷 In Málaga, Spain, the traditional horse-drawn carriage rides for tourists will end this year as the mayor, Francisco de la Torre of Partido Popular, who has been in office for 24 years, will not renew the 25 licenses for the service. De la Torre aims to stop the practice 10 years ahead of schedule for animal welfare and the city's image, offering negotiations and indemnifications to the remaining carriage operators. The unexpected announcement came during a municipal debate.

🏨 Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) present both benefits and challenges for the hotel industry, offering visibility but taking a significant cut from bookings. Hotels can increase direct bookings and retain more revenues by reducing OTA dependency, thereby strengthening guest relationships. Digital marketing campaigns are effective in regaining control, allowing hotels to directly connect with potential guests, enhance online presence, and develop personalized strategies, not only boosting profitability but also fostering brand loyalty and optimizing customer experience.

🏨 In Valencia, hotels matched pre-DANA occupancy levels in early February, with the city hitting 71.3% occupancy, equal to the first half of February 2024. The province saw 73.5%, exceeding last year by 3 points. However, current average prices are 10% below normal profitability levels. South Alicante hotels led the province with 82.5% occupancy, followed by Benidorm at 74.2%, and the Costa Blanca at 71%. Castellón also showed an 8-point increase over 2024, reaching 72.1%. The second half of the month's bookings are 3-4 points higher compared to the previous year.

🏠 In Madrid, 538 illegal tourist apartments have been made available for residents following increased fines ranging from 30,000 to 100,000 euros. The rigorous enforcement of sanctions was highlighted by Urbanism delegate Borja Carabante, noting a deterrent effect and the non-viability of continuing illegal operations due to potential cumulative fines up to 190,000 euros. The city's "Plan Reside" aims to regulate tourism and protect residents, with only 1,131 out of 16,000 tourist homes currently licensed.

🏨 Hyatt Hotels Corporation ended 2024 with $1.296 billion in revenue, up $220 million from 2023, and an adjusted EBITDA of $1.096 billion. Total debt was $3.782 billion and liquidity stood at $2.9 billion. Q4 was impacted by Hurricane Milton and lower booking volumes, resulting in a $56 million loss. Yearly RevPAR grew 4.6% to $142.48, ADR by 1.6% to $203.7, and occupancy reached 69.9%. All-inclusive resorts saw RevPAR rise by 4.4%. Room growth was 7.8%, with 81 new hotels and 20,721 rooms added in Q4. Contracts for approximately 720 hotels (138,000 rooms) were signed, a 9% year-over-year portfolio expansion. Projections for 2025 include a 2-4% RevPAR growth, a net increase of 2,025 rooms, revenues between $190-240 million, and an adjusted EBITDA of $1.1-1.15 billion.

✈ In September 2023, a Spanish cabin crew union, Sitcpla, represented by law firm Navas & Cusí, filed a complaint because the predominantly female (75%) cabin crew were excluded from a 1986 Royal Decree allowing pilots and mechanics early retirement. In December 2023, the complaint was admitted for proceedings. By late 2024, the Spanish government responded with its arguments. The European Commission's Gender Equality department is reviewing the case, with a decision expected between February and March, within a 10-week response time frame. Sitcpla is advocating for the inclusion of up to 8,000 women in the early retirement scheme for arduous and hazardous jobs, citing irregular hours, pressure changes, temperatures, and physical injuries as qualifying factors.

📊 Fergus Group's revenue in 2024 reached a record €154 million, a 14% increase from the previous year. In 2025, they aim to surpass €200 million with a forecast of €207 million, attributing growth to new asset additions and investments in repositioning. The company will open new hotels in Menorca, Ibiza, and Playa de Palma. Fergus Group operates with various private equities and has partnerships with companies like Atom Hoteles and HI Partners. They also plan to expand their portfolio with more property acquisitions without solely relying on purchases.

🏑 26% of Spaniards take up to a month to plan their yearly vacations, while 41% find the process exceedingly difficult, according to a Skyscanner survey. The study, which included 1,000 participants in Spain, reveals that 80% hesitate due to potential better deals, 97% are influenced by price, and 89% are hindered by overthinking. January is the prime planning month for 41% of Spaniards, with 65% aligning their vacation planning with New Year's resolutions.

✈ Europe saw the addition of 1,356 new air routes in 2024, with Ryanair leading by testing 208 new routes and Easyjet following at 155. The third place was Norwegian with 62, and Wizz Air with 57. Typically, Ryanair aims to try up to 300 new routes annually, indicating that 2024 was not among its strongest years. Traditional airlines did not rank among the top 15 in terms of new routes.