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🏕 Hotel Cap Negret, founded in 1975 in Altea, celebrates its 50th anniversary as a tourism excellence reference on the Costa Blanca. The hotel, established by inexperienced friends, has become a family and social tourism landmark. Since the Alicante airport opened to international traffic in 1967, the region has transformed economically. The hotel underwent a major refurbishment in 2020 and shifted towards international sports tourism, notably cycling, with its Bike Zone, since 2015. An anniversary event was held on April 11, attended by tourism representatives, local authorities, and founders' families.

🏨 Ashotel, the hotel association in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, reported about 10% participation in the tourism strike, compared to the 70% claimed by unions. The strike, surveyed among over a hundred member hotels, saw 11% in Tenerife, 1% in La Palma, 9% on April 17, and 6% on April 18 in La Gomera. In Tenerife, the south had 11% on Thursday and 10% on Friday, the north 11% and 14%, and the metropolitan area 5% and 11%. Ashotel's manager expressed willingness to negotiate despite withdrawing the previous offer, which included a 6% wage increase and other benefits. No date is set for new negotiations.

🏨 Javier Tausía, CEO of deLuna Hotels, addressed hotel expansion at the Data & Revenue Camp by BR Group at hotel Cap Negret. He noted high land costs, construction costs up 20%, and financing around 3-4%, with tenants and investors bearing the costs. Javier Pet emphasized the importance of choosing a growth partner for technical and financial solvency. Both recognize the less crowded space between luxury and economy hotels as an opportunity for chains.

🏨 Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Palladium Hotel Group has improved guest experience by automating processes and personalizing services. AI-assisted virtual assistants and chatbots provide real-time assistance, while data analysis systems predict guest preferences. The group focuses on optimizing operational efficiency, including predictive maintenance and intelligent revenue management, to increase profitability. Digitalized check-in/out and cybersecurity measures enhance guest safety. Future AI innovations may include augmented reality and advanced analytics, balancing technology with the human touch to define the brand's identity and culture.

🏖 Six contenders are set to compete for the management of the senior tourism program following the public tender's commencement. The competition is scheduled for May, with Ávoris exclusively managing the last two seasons. Key changes include a €50 flat rate for the lowest pensions, reserving 7,447 spots, an increase in funds for awardees, a decrease in available spots from 886,269 to 879,213, and a €100 surcharge for high season travel.

🏖 The President of the Canary Islands urged unions to negotiate with business representatives to avert the hospitality strike in Tenerife, but talks failed. Negotiations lasted until 8 PM Canary time, with false hopes for an agreement in the afternoon. The strike will affect tens of thousands of tourists. Gran Canaria reached an agreement previously, avoiding a strike that would have been the first in many years in Spain's hospitality sector.

📡 Pilar Crespo, Regional Manager of Booking.com, highlighted on April 8 the use of AI, including generative AI for a better user experience, at the Learning Experience by Contact Center Hub and TecnoHotel. Booking.com uses AI for internal use by employees, customer service improvement, and traveler experience optimization. AI assists in fraud detection, offers personalized travel experiences, and aligns with sustainable values. 66% of travelers in a global study with over 33,000 participants from 33 countries plan to use AI for trip planning. Trip Planner, an AI-based conversational assistant, is now available in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and expected in Spain this year. Content quality on the platform is crucial for accommodations to enhance visibility and conversion rates.

🚀 A Vueling A320 departing from Málaga to Gran Canaria diverted to Lanzarote due to possible cabin smoke. Enaire's Control Center in the Canary Islands ensured a safe landing on runway 03, re-routing other flights to mitigate risk. The plane landed without issues, was checked by firefighters, and normal operations resumed, allowing other diverted planes to return to their paths.

🏖️ Turismo employment in Spain increased by 0.9% in March compared to March 2024, reaching 2.7 million workers, or 25,000 more. This sector represents 13% of the total labor market, which grew by 1.7%. However, hospitality saw a decrease of 13,745 affiliates, while travel agencies gained 1,822 employees. The number of salaried workers rose by 1% and constitutes 81.9% of tourism workers. Self-employment in the sector also grew by 0.3%. Notably, employment surged in Madrid, Canary Islands, Basque Country, Ceuta, Melilla, and Navarra, with Canarias leading at a 2.4% increase. Conversely, Catalonia and Baleares experienced the steepest declines in employment, with the latter also marking the most significant relative decrease at -6.5%.