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🌱 Benidorm, recognized as the Green Pioneer of European Smart Tourism 2025, showcases transformational environmental management and innovative sustainable practices, including the construction of dikes and advanced drainage systems to combat sea-level rise and flooding. The city diversifies its offerings with sustainable theme parks, eco-friendly golf courses, and cultural events like the Winter Festival, reducing seasonal dependence and boosting local employment. Digital innovations like real-time beach monitoring apps address overtourism sustainably. Benidorm participates in the "Sustainable EU Tourism - Shaping the tourism of tomorrow" project, sharing knowledge and collaborating with over 200 EU destinations. With 15.3 million overnight stays and water scarcity issues, Benidorm implements innovative water management, such as separating rain and wastewater and using biogas from wastewater for electricity.

🌞 Costa del Sol's hotel occupancy reached 78.14% in 2024, up by 1.72 points from 76.82% in 2023, with hotels nearly 80% refurbished in the past 15 years. January 2025 exceeded expectations at 60.58%, slightly higher than 58.23% the previous year, with 80% international guests. Occupancy forecasts are positive, with February expected at 73.26% (up from 70% in 2024) and March estimated at 75.47%, aligning with March 2024's 75.10%. The focus is on recovering national, Nordic, and German markets in 2025.

🏖️ FITURTECHY 2025, the central hub for tourism innovation, took place from January 22-24 in Madrid. Organized by the Instituto Tecnológico Hotelero (ITH) and FITUR, the event gathered over 250 experts to discuss the future of tourism and hospitality. The conference highlighted 10 key trends: artificial intelligence, robotics, digitalization, data management, new communication formats, customer and employee experience, regenerative tourism, wellness and conscious luxury, collaborative innovation, and cybersecurity. These trends indicate a shift towards a more technological, person-centered, and sustainable tourism model.

📆 TecnoHotel OnTour will take place on Thursday, February 13, at the Gran Hotel Don Manuel in Cáceres. The event is geared towards hotel industry professionals, focusing on the latest trends in technology, revenue, distribution, and customer experience. Featured sponsors include Cloudbeds, Mews, Mirai, KHAMA Hotel, and niikiis. Key discussions will cover Extremadura's tourism potential, with experts like María José García, José Luis Iniesta, Caridad Hernández, and Guillermo Antón. Sessions will address topics such as artificial intelligence in hospitality, distributive optimization, sustainable innovation, and efficient team talent management. The event is free for hotel sector professionals, but registration is required. It will conclude with a networking cocktail.

🏨 In 2025, growth at double-digit rates compared to the previous year, driven by dominance in the EMEA region, is reported. The partnership with IHG has shown a positive balance in the first year, resulting in an increase in the American market presence, particularly in the Caribbean and Spain. Grupo Iberostar's hotel division invested 210 million euros, including the redevelopment of properties in Mallorca, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. Plans for expansion include new hotels in Aruba, Miami, Mallorca, and Tunisia, with potential ventures into regions beyond current operations such as Africa. The expansion strategy focuses on Beachfront properties, with considerations for long-term plans. The luxury all-inclusive vacation sector is seeing investment interest, and Iberostar emphasizes adapting to customer desires with investments in differentiated experiences and personalization. The urban line is not a growth target, with a strategic focus on Beachfront offerings.

💰 The Turijobs annual report, presented at FITUR, analyzed over 20,000 job listings revealing a tourism sector salary average of €1,734.37/month (€21,000/year), which is 29% above the sector average but 26.32% below the national average, showing a 5% increase from 2023. The Baleares lead with €23,831/year, while Sevilla has the lowest at €17,126/year. Sectors vary: restaurants (€23,467), events (€24,188), and maintenance companies (€24,328) offer higher salaries, contrasted by bars and cleaning services on the lower end. Management roles earn more, with Regional Managers at €62,479/year, illustrating disparities by region, company type, and job position.

🎬 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.