Top News

🏖 Record year for tourism in 2024, with Caribe and Canarias leading in bookings at start of 2025. Barceló Hotel Group CEO, Raúl González, plans to invest €500 million for asset growth and repositioning. Increased leisure time due to technology predicted to boost travel, with a focus on experiential tourism. Challenges include attracting tourists during the off-season and improving connectivity with North America and Asia. Spain's competitive advantage in the Middle East as both a sender and receiver market is noted. Geopolitical issues affect tourism, with potential positive/negative impacts from global conflicts. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) expected to significantly enhance productivity.

🌍 Benidorm ha sido designada como Pionera Verde Europea del Turismo Inteligente 2025 por la Comisión Europea, y Turín como Capital Europea del Turismo Inteligente 2025. Benidorm fue el primer Destino Turístico Inteligente Certificado del mundo en 2015 y ha logrado un Índice de Equilibrio de Estacionalidad del 84,6 y un Índice de Equilibrio de Producto Turístico del 64,7, con una estancia media de 6,2 días por visitante. Turín, destacado por su innovación y cultura, generó más de 32 millones de euros en eventos culturales en 2024 y alcanzó un Índice de Sentimiento de 89/100, con el Museo Egipcio y la Mole Antonelliana alcanzando 93/100 y 94/100 respectivamente.

🏕 RIU Hotels & Resorts, led by CEO Luis Riu, reported 2024 revenues of €4.082 billion with an average occupancy of 89%. RIU's sustainability strategy "Proudly Committed" achieved significant milestones: 70% of hotels using renewable electricity, 50% carbon footprint reduction within two years, and 80% of hotels sustainability certified. Their Mauritius complex, with 2,500 solar panels, exemplifies their commitment. The company's technology focus includes the "Elite Club" and expansion with projects like Riu Plaza Chicago. RIU plans 2025 openings in Formentera, Cancún, and Phuket, while Carmen Riu's retirement marks a new era with the fourth generation, Luis and Roberto Riu, taking on key roles.

🏨 SiteMinder's "Hotel Booking Trends" report identifies top 12 hotel booking channels generating the most revenue for Spanish establishments in 2024. Booking.com leads, followed by hotel websites (direct booking), Expedia Group, Hotelbeds, Jet2holidays, World2Meet, Keytel, OTS Globe, Airbnb, Agoda, Traveltino, and global distribution systems. Direct bookings rank second for the sixth consecutive year. Hotel websites averaged €476 per reservation, outperforming OTAs (€293), global distribution systems (€348), and wholesalers/DMCs/tour operators combined (€409). Agoda re-entered Spain's top 12 in 2023, boosted by increased arrivals from Asia. SiteMinder's annual report is based on over 44,500 hotel clients' data, securing over 125 million bookings worth over $50 billion in 2024.

🌱 Kora Green City, located in Vitoria's Plaza del Renacimiento, operates with Passivhaus certification and uses 100% renewable energy. Annually, it avoids 314 tons of CO₂ emissions, saves 75% in energy, and generates 27,000 kWh of solar energy with 58 panels. In 2022, 26 solar panels were installed, followed by 32 in 2023. Guests receive a WhatsApp message at check-out about their positive environmental impact, thanks to a system developed with Hijiffy. Kora Green City offers flexible living options and community spaces for various events. Kepa Apraiz, CEO of Kora Living, emphasizes the brand's commitment to sustainable tourism.

🏖️ The travel experience sector in Spain outperformed global growth in 2024, with 50% of Spanish operators reporting growth compared to 38% globally. Optimism for 2025 is higher among Spanish operators at 74%, versus 62% worldwide. Digital bookings in Spain account for 58%, with 25% through operator websites and 33% via online travel agencies. Spanish operators utilize advanced booking systems (68%), connect with resellers through APIs (46%), and experiment with AI (43%). Arival 360 | Valencia, sponsored by Civitatis, will be held from April 28-30, 2025 at the Palacio de Congresos de Valencia, emphasizing innovation in the industry. Spanish operators work with an average of 10 distribution partners, highlighting the role of OTAs in Spain's market.

📣 Clients using Asksuite's guest follow-up strategy have achieved a 71x ROI by sending automated, personalized messages at the right time through the correct channels. The strategy is crucial for increasing revenue and guest satisfaction, allowing hotels to influence decision-making, generate trust, and improve the overall guest experience. Tactics include increasing conversion rates, improving guest experiences during their stay, reducing abandoned bookings, and boosting direct bookings. A notable feature is AskFlow, which automates customized workflows for guests and integrates with PMSs and Asksuite's omnichannel platform. Communication is key before, during, and after a guest's stay, with WhatsApp serving as an ideal instant messaging platform. Hotels can automate messages, learn the perfect timing for follow-ups, and rely on technological tools like third-party systems, WhatsApp API, and AI Booking Agents to personalize communication without overwhelming staff.

💰 Ávoris, under Barceló Group, achieved a turnover of €4.5 billion and an Ebitda of €45 million in a year, marking a 1% sales margin. Copresident Simón Pedro Barceló aims to double Ebitda by 2025, aspiring to approach €5 billion in turnover. Iberojet, linked to Ávoris, plans to be the go-to airline for its tour operators and is set to launch routes to Orlando and Bangkok in 2024, enhancing connectivity from Barcelona to Costa Rica and Honduras, with continued operations in Madrid.

🏢 Phocuswright Europe 2025 will take place from June 10-12, 2025, at Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, Barcelona. The conference will explore disruptive forces redefining travel, covering intermediaries' evolution, emerging technologies' impact, and travelers' new expectations. The 2024 event saw over 600 attendees, with expectations to exceed this number. Early registration is available at 1095 euros. For more details, visit www.phocuswrighteurope.com.

🏢 FITUR 2025, in its 45th edition, is the most significant national tourism fair and a key international event. Noray, with 45 years in the tech and hotel industry, highlights the fair as a golden networking opportunity and a showcase for the latest trends. The fair featured industry advancements, especially in hotel technology, with diverse expert discussions. Key trends for 2025 included advanced AI for hyper-personalization, autonomous management systems, IoT for total hotel automation, blockchain for security and payments, and sustainable, energy-efficient AI technologies. Noray values FITUR for knowledge sharing and looks forward to continuing to offer cutting-edge solutions.