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🏨 Hotelverse, a tech platform for room booking with digital twins, sees 20% of hotel website bookings using its room selection feature, yielding an average extra income of €69 per reservation. Over 60 international hotel chains, including Radisson, Iberostar, and Hyatt, have adopted this tech. Enhanced web interaction time has increased by 103%, and conversion rates have improved by over 15%. In 2023, Hotelverse raised €5 million and aims for expansion by 2025, with over three million daily digital twin views.

🏨 Grupo Barceló, in 2024, surpassed €6.5 billion in turnover with an Ebitda of €500 million, and aims to reinvest positive results to avoid debt. Barceló Hotel Group, part of the conglomerate, accounted for €2.1 billion of the revenue. Post-9/11 strategic shift prioritizes security over risk, allowing aggressive project planning due to a strong financial stance. The company plans to spend €400 million in 2024 for hotel acquisitions, renovations, and repositioning, focusing on organic growth, selective expansion in America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean, avoiding overpriced markets like the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Madrid, and Barcelona. In Spain, Mexico, and Morocco, where Barceló has a significant presence, they plan to double their portfolio.

🏖️ Madrid hosts FITURTECHY 2025 from January 22 to 24, organized by ITH and FITUR, emphasizing tech, sustainability, and business in tourism. Key speakers include Jorge Marichal (CEHAT) and Óscar Perelli (EXCELTUR), advocating for a State Pact to address the sector's challenges. Discussions focus on investment funds, Next Generation Funds for tourism projects, and the current state of the industry, including tourist housing, its GDP impact, and talent retention. The event also features debates on smart mobility, digital transformation, and AI's role in tourism, culminating in recognitions for influential professionals and the VIII Edition of the FITUR-Intermundial Seguros Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award.

🎫 Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, CEO of Meliá Hotels International, praised Grupo Preferente's defense of tourism and thanked the tribute to his late father, Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, at Fitur's traditional award ceremony. A 'Oscar' like artwork by Joan Ramis Sineu, signed by friends and colleagues from the tourism sector, was presented. Around 400 attendees gathered for the event, highlighted by the President of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, who commended Grupo Preferente's unwavering support and defense of tourism with excellence.

🏕 The 45th edition of Fitur starts today, with the tourism sector on the rebound post-pandemic with strong recovery. At Ifema's exhibition halls, where the event takes place, major Spanish tourism companies have launched their stands featuring innovative designs. Fitur expects over 250,000 visitors, with 9,500 companies, 884 exhibitors, and representatives from 156 countries participating in the five-day event.

🏕 The report "Contribución del turismo al desarrollo territorial en España" by Competur was presented yesterday, revealing tourism's positive correlation with public services and population retention, especially in rural Spain. About 5 million Spanish workers are employed in tourism-related sectors, nearly 25% of Spain's total employment. A thousand tourists in Spain create an average of 3.3 hospitality jobs, 0.4 in restaurants, 0.5 in travel agencies, and 4.9 in rental and transport. Municipalities gain €0.58 per capita in revenue and spend €0.56 per capita per thousand tourists. Spain has 1,300 municipalities without bars/restaurants and 2,700 with just one. Tourism supports educational centers, pharmacies, and bank branches in rural areas, reducing the risk of depopulation.

🏖 Viajes El Corte Inglés, Spain's market leader, incentivizes travel agents for selling Tui (0.80%), Newblue (0.70%), and Icarion (0.70%) products, excluding its own brands. Over 500 agencies are seeing increased sales, while incentives for Ávoris products were removed. Other incentives include Soltour (0.10%), Panavisión (0.15%), and Mapa Tours (0.15%). Higher incentives are given for Tourmundial and Club de Vacaciones packages (1%-1.20%) and Muchosol accommodations.

🏨 España cerró 2024 con 94 millones de turistas internacionales, un aumento del 10% respecto al año anterior. Inversiones en el sector hotelero desde 2020 alcanzaron más de 17.000 millones de euros, con 60% en activos individuales. En 2024, se invirtieron 3.330 millones de euros, con un enfoque en activos urbanos (52%). El año marcó un récord en transacciones individuales, totalizando 2.452 millones de euros. Seis operaciones destacadas equivalen a 751 millones de euros. Los inversores nacionales lideraron 75% de las compras, con grupos hoteleros españoles invirtiendo 809 millones de euros.

🔔 Sercotel will participate in a roundtable titled "Hotel Franchises in Spain: keys to understanding an evolving market" at Fitur on Wednesday, January 22 at 3:00 PM in the Hotel Trends Arena, stand 8D26, organized by BeonX and Hotelverse. The 40-minute discussion will feature Pablo Fernández from Sercotel, Rafael Soria of Meliá Hotels International, Alfonso Murillo from Panoram Hotel Management, moderated by Antonia Aguiló of Belvera Partners. They will explore trends, challenges, opportunities, market entry barriers, franchising solutions, brand powers, and growth expectations in the hotel franchise sector.

🍽 International tourists in Spain spent over €17 billion (€17,232 million) on culinary experiences in 2023, up by 24% from pre-pandemic levels. The per capita spending increased from €166.4 in 2017 to €202.3 in 2023, a 21.7% rise. Gastronomy is a key motivator for luxury and premium tourists, contributing to the local economy and cultural connection. Spain boasts 377 Denominations of Origin, 291 Michelin-starred restaurants, 792 Repsol Suns, and 36 wine routes. The gastronomy sector impacted 27% of Spain's GDP, contributing €374.575 billion and maintaining 7.2 million jobs.