Top News

🎬 On the upcoming Saturday, Granada's Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones will host the 39th Annual Goya Awards, estimated to bring an economic impact of €84.59 million and a 90% hotel occupancy, with 16,402 beds reserved. Granada's investment for the event is €8.48 million, including €3 million from the organization and €500,000 from sponsors. The lodging for 3,100 industry personalities will cost €489,459, with an additional €4,493,707 from 28,461 tourists' spending. The event's media reach is expected at €71 million, and it will reportedly generate 600 jobs. Additional revenue for the public treasury will be €3,623,743, including various taxes and social security contributions. The Goya Gala is predicted to contribute 55.9% to Granada's cultural GDP and 0.42% to its overall GDP.

🏡 In 2024, Spain's hotel stays reached 363.6 million, a 4.9% increase from 2023. Canarias led with 72.93 million nights, followed by Baleares and Cataluña. Resident stays rose 0.2%, non-residents 7.5%. Baleares had the highest international tourism reliance at 91.5%. The survey was conducted by Spain's INE, detailing national and international tourism's impact across 17 autonomous communities.

🏠 Keytel hosted the fourth edition of the "Cena del Hotel Independiente" last week, bringing together over 100 hotel industry professionals. The event featured the first "Premios a la Innovación Hotelera 2024," celebrating creativity, sustainability, and digital transformation. El Palace Barcelona won for customer experience innovation with "La Caseta de El Palace," a unique cultural pop-up. Futurotel received the technology innovation award for their smart hotels and advanced digital systems. deLuna Hotels was recognized for sustainability with their "beGreen" program, incorporating smart robots for eco-friendly operations. The gathering took place at Casa de Burgos in Madrid, with Grupo Hotusa's Amancio López Seijas and Keytel's Xavier Cortés underscoring the importance of innovation and strategic partnerships for independent hotels.

🏖️ República Dominicana, after closing 2024 with over 11 million international tourists, launches new branding for key destinations like Miches, Samaná, Santiago, and Costa del Ámbar. The rebranding highlights unique identities, emphasizing sustainability, cultural tourism, pristine beaches, luxury, and well-being. The Tourism Ministry, led by David Collado, unveiled the brands in Madrid, aiming to showcase cultural richness, bolster the national economy, job creation, and foreign investment. Big hotel chains like Four Seasons are investing in the country.

💎 TUI Group highlights ten European cities as top romantic destinations for Valentine's Day 2025, celebrated on February 14. With the trend of romantic getaways, Atrápalo recorded a 40% increase in leisure bookings for the 2024 Valentine's period compared to the previous year. Paris leads as the classic destination, followed by Venice, where the Carnaval coincides with Valentine's. Other cities include Prague, Vienna, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Rome, Bruges, Budapest, and Florence, each offering a unique mix of cultural and romantic experiences.

🏡 Luxury hotels in Spain saw a 9% RevPAR increase to €189 in 2024. Lower-category establishments also showed significant potential, with 1 and 2-star hotels, plus hostels, recording higher RevPAR growth than higher-category hotels. Nationwide, the average daily revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose by 9.8% to €84.6 in 2024. The Balearic Islands led with RevPAR at €118.4, up by 8%, while the Community of Madrid posted the highest growth at 17.4%. Specific increases by hotel category were: 5-star hotels at €189.7 (+9.6%), 4-star at €96.6 (+9.3%), 3-star at €70.5 (+7.0%), 2-star at €48.4 (+12.9%), 1-star at €44.7 (+11.7%), 3 and 2-star hostels at €34.4 (+8.5%), and 1-star hostels at €33.7 (+17.2%). The European hotel transactions hit €19.5 billion in 2024, a 34% year-over-year increase, with cross-border capital exceeding 60%.

🏨 Atom Hoteles to reopen the renovated Hotel Sol Falcó in Menorca in April. The socimi is investing €1.1 million to refurbish the hotel's common areas, including 5,000 square meters, 8 pools, and a new Italian trattoria. Managed by Meliá Hotels International, the family-friendly hotel with 450 rooms will offer a Mediterranean design, improved restaurants, pools, and family spaces, enhancing the appeal to both national and international markets.

🏨 Over 60 international hotel chains offer room selection for a fee, similar to airlines' seat selection. 20% of customers using hotel websites pay to choose their room number, adding an average of €69 per selected room. Hotelverse, after a €5 million funding round in September, services 60+ brands, including Radisson, Iberostar, Barceló, RIU, Hyatt, and Palladium. Innovations include digital twins for room booking, leading to a 15%+ web conversion increase and a 70% rise in interest for premium rooms. Hotelverse introduces email reservation confirmation with 3D room selection.

🏨 Spain's hotel market closed 2024 with an investment volume of 3.3 billion euros. National capital represented 59% of the investment, while international investors contributed 41%. The average price per room hit a record of 195,000 euros, with the Six Senses Ibiza hotel setting a historic high at 1.7 million euros per room. Four-star hotels dominated with 58% of the total invested. Barcelona and Madrid led urban transactions with 572 and 589 million euros, respectively, while the Balearic Islands captured 42% of vacation segment investment. Hotel groups were the leading investors at 38%, while family offices and private investors held 30%. Noteworthy transactions included the acquisition of Hotel Miguel Ángel by Lopesan and Stoneweg and the record-breaking sale of Six Senses Ibiza. Christie & Co forecasts that 2025 might match the 3.3 billion euros of 2024, supported by economic recovery and an expected influx of over 94 million tourists.

🍷 The International Wine Tourism Fair (FINE) will hold its sixth edition on March 5 and 6 in Valladolid, expecting 85 tour operators and travel agencies specializing in contracting markets. The event features around 140 wineries, hotels, and wine routes from Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, and Slovenia, the latter participating for the first time. The fair includes conferences, round tables, and workshops, with global representation including the USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Argentina, Nordic countries, Mexico, and the Baltic states.