TOP NEWS

📅 Elena Black appointed as the senior vice president of marketing at Rocco Forte Hotels, bringing over 20 years of experience. Previously at Six Senses for over 13 years and promoted to head of global luxury and lifestyle marketing after its merger with IHG Hotels & Resorts. Stephan Hungeling becomes managing director and chief transformation officer of Steigenberger Hotels, joining from Christ and with past experience at Douglas GmbH. Steigenberger CEO Oliver Bonke joining the supervisory board on April 1, 2025, to be replaced by Dr. Hungeling. Chuck Moses named as vice president of sales at First Hospitality with over 20 years of experience, coming from Davidson Hospitality Group. Daniela Rico becomes operations director at Grand Cayman Marriott Resort after climbing ranks since joining Marriott in Venezuela. Marielle Vroemen promoted to head of operations at Choice Hotels EMEA, focusing on franchisee support. Gayla Guyse appointed general manager of upcoming Omni Fort Lauderdale Hotel, set to open in fall 2025, with 25 years at Omni. Steve Pufpaf named general manager of The Westin Los Angeles Airport with over 35 years of Marriott experience.

🎉 On 3 December 2024, European Parliament hosted the European Hospitality Day, featuring a keynote by Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas on sustainability and competitiveness in tourism. The event in Brussels included discussions with industry leaders like Christel Delberghe (EuroCommerce) and Veronique Willems (SMEunited), focusing on SME empowerment. Roundtables addressed hospitality competitiveness and sustainability, highlighting VAT issues, administrative burdens, recruitment, legal migration, circular economy, and energy efficiency. Thanks were given to MEP Nikolina Brnjac and participating MEPs for their contributions.

🏨 Lou Zameryka, founder of Alively and partner at Ventures Hospitality, discussed the use of AI in hotel sales, marketing, and revenue management at a recent HSMAI event on December 3, 2024. He highlighted practical AI applications like sales training with video avatars and gamification, optimizing content for AI-based conversational search in marketing, and attribute-based pricing for revenue management. The podcast episode explores "boundaryless intelligence" and AI-native companies in the hospitality industry.

🏖️ Ryan Mann, a partner at McKinsey, on December 3, 2024, discussed "Travel Tuesday," comparing it to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The trend, beneficial for the hospitality industry, particularly in off-seasons, reflects a consumer behavior shift towards experiences over goods. The podcast emphasizes the importance of hotels understanding guest preferences and balancing marketing with experience delivery. Further resources are shared for industry insights and strategies.

📈 Noida, 03 December 2024: RateGain Travel Technologies Limited, recognized by The Economic Times as the Best B2B Travel Technology Provider and ranked in the Top 10 by Forbes India and DGEMS Select 200. Founder Bhanu Chopra credits the success to the team's passion and "GenAI" initiatives. RateGain, founded in 2004 and operating in over 100 countries, provides AI-powered SaaS solutions to 3,200+ customers and 700+ partners, including 26 of the Top 30 hotel chains.

🌎 In 2025, European travelers eye the Balkans, Montenegro, and Croatia for value. Lastminute.com's Travel Horizons Report, developed with Travel Intelligence Unit at Forward, highlights personalized one-stop-shopping trips. The report suggests Albania's coast, Montenegro, and Croatia among the top 10 rising destinations. Majorca leads in last-minute bookings, while Poland, Italy, and Egypt are most searched in Europe. Lastminute.com CEO Luca Concone emphasizes technology's role in travel over the past 25 years, creating a one-stop-shop for flights, hotels, car hire, insurance, and more.

🏠 In 2023, wellbeing experiences became a top trend for travel enthusiasts, according to Perfect Stays. A third of their new properties now feature private saunas. The UK saw a sauna culture boom, with over 30 sauna pop-ups appearing in 2024. Winter staycations rose by 17% in January-March compared to 2023, with over 50% of bookings with dogs and half for adult-only groups. Foodie trends for 2025 include a shift towards sustainably sourced food, foraging, and plant-based dishes. Surf schools in Cornwall report increased demand for immersive courses among young professionals. Mindful drinking has led to a preference for organic and natural wines.

💰 In 2024, the business travel industry exceeded expectations with an 86% satisfaction rate among global travel buyers and suppliers. GBTA's survey indicated 67% optimism for the industry’s future in 2025, with North America and Latin America leading at 71% and 72% respectively. 55% of businesses are not considering limiting travel in 2025, while 52% expect increased travel budgets. "Bleisure" trips are on the rise, with 46% reporting an increase. Challenges for 2025 include cost control (78% priority), traveller safety (65%), and ROI (49%). Sustainability is a high priority for 46%, but costs and complexities are barriers. Technology investment is planned by 49% of travel programs, with AI gaining traction—44% are excited about AI in business travel, marking a significant year-over-year increase in interest and adoption.