TOP NEWS

🏨 In 2025, AI in hotels is expected to automate repetitive tasks, supercharge communication, and personalize guest experiences. Google's U.S. search ad market share may fall below 50% by 2025, challenging travel ad networks. Italy has banned rental key-boxes to preserve human interaction. TikTok Shop emerges as an influential online marketplace, potentially extending to travel. Walmart partners with Roku for a shoppable Christmas movie, hinting at a future shoppable hotel concept. Cloud PMS companies remain unprofitable, competing for market share without clear monopolistic threats.

📣 HTL Hotels operates four hotels in Argentina, focusing on operations, sales, guest satisfaction, and cost management. Shiji ReviewPro, implemented by collaborating with Tecnohotel's General Director Osvaldo Czerwiak, integrated with HTL’s Property Management System, enabling 20 types of automated communications. Benefits include real-time complaint resolution, strategic data reporting, informed budget planning, and enhanced remarketing strategies. The system also improved OTA ratings, increased direct bookings, and reduced costs associated with complaint resolution.

🎭 Eric Jafari, founder of AENDRE Group, on Dec. 12, 2024, discusses a transformative experience shaping his view on wellness and innovation in hospitality. Gen Z's lower alcohol consumption is changing social spaces, leading to wellness resorts that offer more than relaxation, like Toronto's beach club-wellness hybrid concept. Resources mentioned include "Stealing Fire," Burning Man, Othership, and Barry's Bootcamp. 🎙️

🏨 Hotel operators struggle with measuring operational efficiency, despite recognizing its benefits like fewer errors and happier guests. A Property Management System (PMS) is central to a hotel's daily functions but often relies on manual processes, leading to inefficiencies and high staff turnover. The hospitality industry's high turnover is exacerbated by younger employees' reluctance to perform outdated manual tasks. To improve efficiency, hotels should adopt a self-service model, reducing manual workloads and allowing staff to focus on enhancing guest experiences. PMS vendors are encouraged to shift their focus to guest experience management, using smartphones as the primary engagement tool. This approach would streamline operations and address the high turnover by providing staff with more engaging roles. Implementing a smartphone-first model involves prioritizing mobile interactions, redefining the PMS to be guest-focused, offering intuitive user experiences, ensuring data security, leveraging open APIs, and managing human change effectively. The hospitality industry must overcome legacy processes and adopt a guest-centric, digital-first approach to operations.

🌍 Solo travel constituted 30% of all 2024 bookings, while couples' travel led with 53%. Top destinations included New York, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, with Europe and Asia, particularly Tokyo, as international hotspots. Gen Z's all-inclusive resort bookings surged, with a 60% increase in Hotels.com searches. JOMO travel's appeal grew, with 62% citing stress reduction, and Detour Destinations saw a rise in interest. Agents favor all-in-one booking platforms, with 18% emphasizing ease of use. AI and live chat transformed customer service, handling thousands of inquiries. Anticipating further growth in 2025, efficiency and technology are pivotal for travel agents' success.

🏠 Arabian Travel Market's 32nd edition will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April-1 May 2025, focusing on innovation, connectivity, and customisation. The theme 'Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity' addresses technology's role in tourism. Nostalgia travel gains popularity, with an emphasis on 1990s and 2000s experiences. By 2032, sports tourism is projected to hit $1.33 trillion, and music tourism $13.8 billion. Saudi Arabia hosted 2.5 million tourists for sports events in four years. Asia-Pacific and Middle East travel is set to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 2026. IATA forecasts APAC’s middle class will drive 50% of global air passenger growth until 2043. Solo travel and digital nomadism are on the rise, with 42% of travel insurance clients planning solo trips in 2025. The ecotourism market is predicted to reach $429 billion by 2028. ATM 2025 will unite travel professionals for networking and business opportunities.

🌎 Lastminute.com's Travel Horizons Report identifies Europe's trending destinations as of Dec 12, 2024. Albania's coastline bookings skyrocket by 100% year over year, while Montenegro sees searches soar 98%, positioning it as a Mediterranean budget-friendly option. Istanbul, a well-established spot, maintains popularity in third place.

🏡 LVMH Group and Anaïs Ventures invested in Les Domaines de Fontenille, a French hospitality group. The minority investment will facilitate expansion and renovation of properties. Les Domaines de Fontenille, led by CEO Linda Hazi, aims to grow in France and internationally, with 11 existing properties across France, Spain, and Italy, and 10 opened in the last four years. Two more hotels are set to open: one in Brittany, France, in spring 2025, and another in Aix-en-Provence, France, in 2026. The group has recently become a Société à Mission, pledging to social and environmental impact. LVMH's investment reflects its interest in diversifying beyond its clothing and jewelry businesses.

🏠 Slovenia's hotel group taps into local pride with attractions like Lake Bled and a resident beekeeper for a unique breakfast experience. The Six Senses resort in Portugal offers DIY moisturizer workshops for guests. EU’s CSRD mandates ESG reporting for large companies from 2025, potentially expanding to smaller businesses. Research indicates 39% of consumers pay more for sustainability, with Gen Z holding $140 trillion in spending power, favoring sustainable experiences. The Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman, with Jean-Michel Cousteau, offers environmental education to guests and residents. Personalization in the hotel industry is crucial, evidenced by Ritz-Carlton's guest preference records. Technology enhances guest experiences with AI, mobile check-ins, and apps. Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aims to transform hospitality with luxury and sustainability, promising 5,000 hotel rooms in AlUla by 2035. Revenue management is key, such as a Malta hotel’s jump from €200 to €550 average rates through strategic pricing. Post-pandemic, luxury hotels may maintain high rates, while mid-level hotels could see pricing pressure.