News & Stories

Rome. Agenzia del Demanio, the Italian state property office, has just launched its second bid regarding the "Valore Paese – Cammini e Percorsi" project: an initiative intended to promote slow tourism through the transformation of unused properties.

Brussels. In July 2018, the amendments to the EU Package Travel Directive will enter into force. At present, the intensity and speed with which those affected are looking at the changes differs significantly. In Germany, the focus has been clearly on travel agents and the amendments have been quickly implemented into German law. In Austria, on the other hand, the response has been slower. Though now – in contrast to the Germans – they have already come up with a solution for dealing with those cases where the tour operator goes bankrupt.

Chur/Vienna. "Incredible, but true! Skiing in Switzerland is in some cases cheaper than in Austria" is the finding of an investigation of ski-pass prices which compared destinations in Switzerland with their Austrian rivals. According to the outcome of the investigation, prices differ little. But in many ways, the comparison falls short.

Barcelona. The hospitality company Hotusa is moving its headquarters from Barcelona to Madrid – like 2,500 other companies did due to Catalonia's plans to separate from Spain.

Vienna. Europe's hotel industry is growing across the board, but Eastern Europe in particular provides impetus. "The motor is a healthy mix of high occupancy and high revenue per available room, above all in Central and Eastern Europe", Thomas Emanuel summarised, Director Business Development of STR, speaking last week in Vienna at the 10th IHIDCF. He presented current performance figures, supplemented by investment and transaction benchmarks from Simon Kronberger, Senior Consultant at Christie & Co in Vienna. An overview.

Munich. Ten castles in 30 hours: This was the start of the theme journey for the creators of the new 25hours hotel in Munich. Yesterday and today, The Royal Bavarian celebrated and is still celebrating glittering opening parties at the former "Royal Bavarian Telegraph Central Station". A funny and charming splash of colour in the "ambivalent world" of the central station, as CEO Christoph Hoffmann put it.

Rome. Not everybody is interested in Venice, Milan, Florence or Rome. Operators and investors are focusing everywhere along the peninsula, including destinations such as Naples and the Amalfi Coast, as well as entire regions like Apulia, Sicily and Sardinia. A growing trend well supported by Italy's positive tourism performance and nice financial basics. On the other side of the coin, criticalities remain more or less the same: a certain degree of market opacity and local rules that are never the same in any destination.

Cam Ranh. 3,000 palms at the hotel facility of the brand new The Anam in Cam Ranh in Vietnam: The lush Bermuda grass stands in contrast to the light-coloured, wide sand beach. Numerous gardeners with pointed coolie hats tend to the grass. Four fishing boats bob up and down in the water in front of the resort. At the resort, an Austrian citizen is in charge: Herbert Laubichler-Pichler. The 59-year-old, born in Radstadt, is the General Manager of the newly opened luxury hotel The Anam – and has to cope with similar challenges concerning staff just as in Europe. In the meantime, close contacts and university co-operations have been established between Vietnam and Austria. The demands are increasing in Asia – concerning everything. Even chefs should be academics now.

London. From Turkey to Switzerland, OTAs are under pressure across Europe, and England is the latest country to take a closer look at their practices. Last Friday, UK's Competition and Markets Authority launched an investigation into hotel booking platforms.

Barcelona. Suffering from tourist disturbances, Barcelona often let the world know that the locals want fewer visitors. Now, holidaymakers are avoiding the destination due to the political fight for independence. Revenues and hotel bookings are decreasing. Investments are being put on ice.