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"From the very beginning, we thought in terms of generations, not quarters." A statement that shows attitude. Star architect Hadi Teherani lives by it, as does the Altenberger family, owners of the Krallerhof wellness hotel in the Salzburg region. The result is the 5,500 sqm ATMOSPHERE Spa, a monument to relaxation, a work of art. Only courage and vision can change the hospitality industry.
Luxury guests are willing to pay for exclusivity. But they expect perfection, says Corinna Döpkens, an expert in luxury travel. Digital structures ensure that hotels remain competitive.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing tourism – and offers enormous opportunities for hotels that are prepared to use data intelligently. 125 hoteliers, experts and industry representatives needed to talk.
Tourism meets technology. That is the guiding principle of TIS, the Tourism Innovation Summit, which is already one of the most important events in Seville. Hotel exhibitors are rare. The priority is networking between destination managers, event organisers and tech professionals. Not a bad combination.
According to the results of a study, in 2026 travellers will no longer be asking themselves primarily where to go, but rather why they are travelling. Instead of quantity, the focus will be on rest, comfort and relaxation – with or without the family.
Artificial intelligence and data are changing the rules of the game in the hotel industry. How can hotels use this development to inspire guests and steer them successfully into the future? Answers can be found at "Need to talk". Participation is free of charge.
The Hospitality Industry Dialogue (HID) kicks off with the leisure boom in South-East Europe. And then things heat up at the Expo Real hotel conference: from climate risk for hotel projects, franchising & asset-light to record margins & zero profit, and right through to high-speed market consolidation. The program.
"The modern world meets traditional trade": Dietmar Dahmen is one of Europe's most sought-after futurists. He delivers his message about transformation, technology and radical customer centricity on stage like a rock star. As a visionary, he knows how companies need to reinvent themselves – including in the hotel industry.
Despite all the sceptical business travel statistics, demand in this segment increased noticeably in the first half of 2025 for hospitality-focused distribution specialist QR Quality Reservations. At the same time, direct sales and the number of customers grew.
The "RFP season" is in full swing. However, the rules of the game for these Requests For Proposals have changed for 2026 . The traditional focus on booking volume and price is increasingly giving way to a strategic view of the purpose of business travel.
Paris on Monday and Tuesday of this week: Inner-city temperatures reached a staggering 40 degrees. Both people and industry feel HOT - Hotels Tomorrow at the same time. The abbreviation for this first "unconference" could not have been more fitting. After only three months of organisation, 48 speakers discussed with around 180 participants, all at C-level. The spell of a premier was broken by the unsettling, razor-sharp keynote speech.
More than two thirds of young people in Germany believe that green skills offer them new career opportunities. However, less than half of 16 to 24-year-olds see themselves as qualified enough to be successful in a sustainable working world and make a difference in environmental policy.
A new study predicts a bright future for the European Union’s Travel & Tourism sector, with strong growth predicted over the next decade.
News
An estimated 1.52 billion international tourists were recorded globally in 2025, almost 60 million more than in 2024. Arrivals grew by 4% in 2025.
The German Hotel Association (IHA) is launching the application phase for its Start-up Award 2026 and invites all start-ups with innovative product developments specific to the hotel industry to apply.
Travellers are increasingly looking for alternative and affordable ways to explore the world. In addition to short-term rentals, holiday apartments and hotels, house swapping is developing into a travel model in its own right.
On 17 January 2026, after more than 20 years of negotiations, the Agreement on the Protection of the High Seas came into force. It applies to areas of the oceans that lie outside national territorial waters (up to 12 nautical miles) and outside the national exclusive economic zone (up to 200 nautical miles).
The development of artificial intelligence has reached a new level: AI agents are now acting almost autonomously. Consumers are expected to encounter this for the first time this year: while shopping.
The extent to which German cities and municipalities will be affected by climate change in the future varies considerably from region to region. The new "Climate Risk Index" shows this — it has examined natural hazards and forecasts the situation for individual locations up to 2050.
Mulled wine, bratwurst and roasted almonds - these things can be really lucrative. The most visited Christmas markets in Central Europe are in Germany and France and will welcome over 17 million people in 2025 - mainly day trip tourists.
By 2035, most hotel discoveries and bookings will happen through a single AI conversation, at least half of back-office tasks will be automated, and most routine guest requests will be handled by AI agents. Human staff will be left to do what algorithms can't.
The Welcome Hotel Darmstadt has launched a pilot project. Together with Hotelbird and Vingcard, NFC-based wallet keys have been introduced in the hotel. These work without a separate app – and even when your smartphone battery is flat.
US border guards want to scrutinise the social media profiles of short-term visitors, such as tourists and business travellers from Europe. What is behind this data collection?
