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🛫 Viajes El Corte Inglés plans a staff reorganization, transferring central services professionals to commercial outlets and introducing an incentivized retirement plan for employees over 59. The goal is to enhance customer service and optimize central services through new technologies and processes.

✈ Aena initiates a public tender for the technical assistance of the project for remodeling Alicante-Elche Airport with a budget of €19.8 million. The project includes terminal expansion, new commercial spaces, improved access, and increased energy efficiency but excludes a second runway. It aims to accommodate growing passenger demand, which is nearing capacity limits, especially during high season. Valencia Airport lacks a firm plan despite facing similar operational collapse risks. The Alicante project is part of the DORA III investments for 2027-2031, with Valencia's capacity nearly reached at 10.5 million passengers in 2024.

🛫 In the EU's updated air safety list, 129 airlines are banned, including 100 from 15 countries with insufficient safety standards. Notably, 22 Russian and seven from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, Suriname, Iran, and Iraq have serious issues. Air Tanzania joins others like Air Zimbabwe and Avior Airlines facing restrictions. Air Koryo and Iran Air have model-specific limits. EU lifted bans on Pakistan's PIA and Airblue Limited, grounded since 2020, after they met safety criteria.

🏖 Oceanflights, developed by Maarlab, is revolutionizing the tourism sector by enhancing direct hotel sales and attracting new traveler segments. Raúl Domínguez, CEO of Maarlab, envisions it changing tourism experience commercialization. Paraty Tech's CEO, Gina Matheis, sees Oceanflights as an unmet market demand response. Hotels implementing Oceanflights can increase direct sales by 10-15% and reduce cancellations by 94%. This solution provides hotels with real-time market demand data, pricing freedom, and a smoother user experience for travelers. Oceanflights will debut at Fitur 2025, signaling a significant shift in direct hotel sales.

🏥 Ramón Aragonés celebrates 15 years with NH Hotel Group, notably internationalizing and consolidating its global presence. He will receive the Hosteltur Personalidad Turística 2024 Award on January 23 at FiturtechY. Rafa Nadal, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo venture into lucrative tourism investments, including luxury hotels and exclusive restaurants. The top 10 most profitable air routes, highlighted by high demand for premium services, include London-New York and Doha-London.

🌍 HBX Group predicts solo travel, digital disconnection, and AI-driven hyper-personalization will influence travel decisions by 2025. Women represent 71% of solo travelers, facing high costs (65%) and safety concerns (61%). Interest in 'disconnection' vacations reaches 85%, with Gen Z's 41% preferring all-inclusive resorts for convenience and luxury, and 39% liking easy booking. Technology, especially AI, enhances client experience and operational efficiency, with VR transforming destination previews. Adventure travel, including astrotourism and nocturism, is expected to grow 16.2% annually until 2033.

🎮 FITURTECHY 2025, held on January 22-24 in Madrid, celebrates its 17th edition, inspired by "The Thousand and One Nights", featuring influential speakers like Jorge Marichal and Javier García Cuenca. Focused on technology and sustainability, the event includes four thematic forums and a futuristic hotel showcase, with over 40 partnering companies, discussing topics like digital transformation and AI. Notable events include the Sergestur awards on January 22 and the Hosteltur Personality of the Year award on January 23.

✈ Spanish tourism market travels for 2025 are selling well, with a return to early bookings and long-distance destinations like Japan, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Viajes El Corte Inglés (VECI), Nautalia Viajes, and Ávoris Corporación Empresarial highlight these trends, with Europe and national destinations maintaining high demand levels since 2024. Ávoris offers new direct routes from Spain to New Delhi, India, and additional destinations like Cuba and Mauritius. For 2025, Japón remains a top choice among Spanish tourists, with Tailandia, Uzbekistán, and Cabo Verde also showing strong sales, thanks to direct flights. Nautalia Viajes adds new flight options including India, Tailandia, Zanzíbar, Colombia, Orlando, and Cabo Verde. Early booking benefits lead to optimism for 2025.

🏨 Hotel prices in Barcelona are set to soar by November 2028 due to administrative measures limiting competition while demand continues to grow. The City Council will not grant new tourist housing licenses or renew existing ones, resulting in the disappearance of over 10,000 tourist apartments. Barcelona's hotel sector expects significant rate hikes, with hotel tariffs increasing in double digits over the past three years. Despite a 0.7% drop in tourists in 2024 to 15.5 million, spending per person per night rose by 8.7% to €99.71, contributing to a record economic impact surpassing €10 billion. Average stay duration remained at 4.7 nights.

🏖 Quintana Roo, Mexico, anticipates over 20 million visitors in 2024 despite global tourism challenges and elections in Mexico and the US. Key airports Cancún, Cozumel, Chetumal, and Tulum averaged 600 daily flights, with a peak of 765. Cancún Airport hit a record 691 operations on January 6, 676 on March 23, and 665 on December 28. Tulum Airport matched its highest one-day flight operations with 56 on December 21. In early December, the region received 38 flights from the US, 27 domestic, 18 from Canada, 17 from Europe, and 16 from Latin America. Hotel occupancy in mid-December was led by Costa Mujeres at 83.2%, Cancún at 78.6%, and Puerto Morelos at 78.5%, with Riviera Maya reaching 79.5%, Tulum 75%, Cozumel 65.8%, Isla Mujeres 64.2%, and Gran Costa Maya 56.7%.