Dear Insider,

Big changes always start small. The Austrians might be able to talk up the 0.9 percent fewer overnight stays in winter 2024/25, but when compared the revenue of hotels and holiday apartments, there's no hiding anything anymore. Vienna is a great example: In the last decade, the number of beds on offer in commercial holiday

apartments has tripled and the number of overnight stays has increased even more massively. Hundreds of hotels have also contributed to this by turning rooms into self-catering serviced apartments. Service is a thing of the past, says Fred Fettner, describing a drastically changed market with serious consequences for the local structure.

There are small, subtle changes in Germany's MICE industry too: More and more international guests are flocking to events. Online and hybrid are out! Congresses and conferences are growing strongly, but revenue in conference hotels has barely increased. Sylvie Konzack on a segment that has more fun again.

We also enjoyed the 3rd part of our series on CO2 and offsetting - because Prof Willy Legrand is shaking up everyone's conscience today: "Stop outsourcing your climate conscience!" he demands. Compensation (the so-called "indulgence trade" - pay and forget) are the last resort. The right thing to do is to get to work and actively tackle emissions locally. Even small hotels can do this. Willy is happy to give specific advice again, even to the grown-ups.

Tourism will continue to grow, and hopefully nature conservation and hotel protection will grow with it. The industry continues to flourish every week. According to a professional hotel market analysis, tourists in beautiful Portugal are now being drawn from the cities to the smaller regions. The hotel pipelines are still full throughout Europe, with Luxury and Upper Upscale reaching new remarkable levels, statistics reveals. 

The Serviced Apartment brand Adagio is putting itself under pressure with its own records and high sales announcements. It has not published the KPIs from its last financial year though. However, volume is no guarantee of quality. Serviced Apartment competitors are also keeping an eye on other brands - they also want to become much more present in Germany, as the annual review of Apartmentservice consulting, Berlin, reveals. The segment was stable overall in 2024.

Though Europe needs a new dynamic, according to TUI's latest quarterly report. This resonates in many ways... Read for yourself, as well as selected statements from Meliá Hotels about its own financial year. Faith in tourism remains strong: Germany's tourism experts are certain that the locals will make up the shortfall in bookings from the United States. But be careful at your destination: The rules on location are getting stricter and stricter. The Turkish aviation authorities, for instance, are set to punish anyone who stands up in the aisle while the plane is still taxiing…

As regards our HITT in 10 (!) days, you can stay relaxed. The programme and get-together are set, with 19 experts taking part, many of them for both days. Would you like to have another look? The latest updates and information on the great locations can be found on the website www.hitt.world

And with great excitement and now verve, it's on to HOT, Hotels Tomorrow, in Paris at the end of June. Those who dare to try new things win - new business partners and friends. Europe needs a new dynamic. Would you also agree? Secure your head start in the hotel industry of tomorrow. HospitalityInside subscribers and HITT guests benefit from special prices.  www.hotelstomorrow.eu

Yours, Maria Pütz-Willems
Editor-in-Chief