News & Stories

Athens. In 2017, Greece welcomed almost 27.2 million international visitors and received nearly 14.2 billion euros from incoming tourism. Arrivals increased by 9.7% year-on-year, revenue by 11.7%. Travel receipts, in particular, reached a new record level after the drop recorded in 2016.

Frankfurt/Main. In 2017, meetings, conferences and events in Germany increased. But smaller meetings, frequently winners in the past, decreased. This is caused by new technologies.

Salzburg. Austria's top winter destinations Salzburg, Tyrol, and Vorarlberg are happy about a highly increased room yield – but only in the upscale hotels.

Palma de Mallorca. The summer season in Mallorca will start with a double tax that tourists have to pay in all types of accommodation, from hotels over holiday homes to cruise ship passengers. From July, apartment owners will no longer be allowed to rent out their units to tourists.

Milan. Italy, a highly desirable destination, and still investors and large international groups are struggling with their development. Nevertheless, a few turnaround signals are dangling on the horizon as discussions at the PKF hotelexperts' "Tourism Investment Forum" in Milan revealed a few weeks ago. International operators, such as Meliá International, Hyatt Hotels, citizenM, Wombat's, and Ruby Hotels gathered with American investors and French financiers to discuss concepts, make inquiries and to figure out what might be in the business for them if they invest in Italy.

Rockville. Franchisor Choice Hotels International announced a major addition to its leisure offerings with the expansion of the Vacation Rentals by Choice Hotels brand. The brand now offers access to more than 20,000 new properties in 35 of the top United States vacation destinations.

Brussels. The European Travel Information and Authorization System is about to become a reality. It will apply to over 30 million people who travel to the EU every year without a visa. After Brexit, British citizens wanting to enter the Schengen area will have to show credentials and pay a fee. The impact on their favorite destinations is still to be determined.

Dubai. Dubai's hotel industry is growing and growing. Because demand is also now rising, average occupancy is healthy, though revenue per available room is a nightmare. Two years before the EXPO at the Arabian Travel Market last week, things were oddly silent. 2019 will presumably also fail to help RevPAR: The early Ramadan will paralyse the hotel industry longer than usual. Then there’ll be the Expo – and after that? "The hotel industry is set to experience a rollercoaster ride over the coming years. This is something everyone needs to prepare for,” one well-known area manager stated. After 2007/2008, Dubai now stands on the edge of its second crisis – on straitened conditions.

Warsaw. Poland is in the positive headlines, at least in terms of tourism. Of the CEE countries, Poland no doubt offers the most interesting prospects for chain expansion. As a relatively large country, Poland is quite decentralised with a number of important regional cities which creates demand for hotels, especially to serve domestic business travellers. The Polish Orbis chain plays a very specific role in the CEE development. Orbis in facts and figures.

Dubai. The 25th anniversary of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai provided the reason for the positive review. Yet many trade fair participants refuse to look in the opposite direction, ahead and directly into the eyes of the slump, now expected from many, following the Expo 2020. Pessimism, after all, is looked on poorly in this city. And of course it's on the site of the trade fair that Happiness Street begins. The city continues to boom, its managers still talk of the future, and seldom about the current challenges. This year, they were able to gloss over these with ease, e.g. with discussions about travel in the future and the new disruptive power of one unique new system, the Hyperloop.