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🏡 Marugal, luxury hotel management company founded in 2003 by Pablo Carrington, joined by Arnaud Laporte-Weywada in 2015, reported a 2024 revenue of €131 million, up 16% from the previous year. It manages 13 hotels across Spain, France, Switzerland, and Portugal and plans to open four new establishments by 2026, expanding its portfolio to 17 hotels. In 2024, RevPAR increased by 8%, with American tourists comprising 25% of guests. Upcoming openings include a boutique hotel in Tavira, Portugal in summer 2025, and three new locations in 2026: an urban resort in Boulogne-Billancourt with 230 rooms, a hotel in Amboise, and a project in Melides, Portugal by Christian Louboutin.

📅 On March 13, 2025, the Future of Travel Distribution (FTD25) will take place at the Cloud Business Center in Paris. Organized by Eventiz, the event aims to prepare industry players for changes in travel distribution in the age of AI. Key speakers such as Antoine Walter from Expedia, Julien Lechat from Travel Meta, André-Louis Rochet from Tw3 Partners, Cyril Guiraud from Theta, Cédric Lefort from Sabre, Charles Tandonnet from Travelsoft, Moncef Khanfir from Wondermiles, and Hervé Kozar from Air France will discuss various topics including AI's impact on traveler experience, its integration into distribution tools, content fragmentation, airline transition with AI, and dynamic packaging.

💰 French tax and social charge exemption on tips, applied since 2022, extended through 2025 for employees earning below 1.6 times minimum wage (€2,882.88 gross monthly in 2025). Benefits industries like hospitality and hairdressing, exempting various contributions like CSG, CRDS, and income tax. Independent workers excluded. Employers covering over 50% of public transport costs, up to 75%, also enjoy continued exemptions in 2025. Auto-certified cash register software ban to combat fraud not detailed.

🍴 On April 2, 2024, Le Train Bleu continues its culinary journey, hosting a unique four-handed dinner with legendary Michelin-starred chefs Michel Rostang, Samir Balia, and special guest Marc Veyrat, celebrated for his bold and poetic Alpine cuisine. This event in Megève highlights the connection between Paris and the rich Savoyard region, following previous editions featuring culinary greats like Jean Sulpice, Emmanuel Renaut, Jean-André Charial, Matthieu Viannay, and Georges Blanc.

🏨 During the Semaine des Métiers du Tourisme from March 17-21, Manpower France offers over 300 hospitality positions nationwide. Over 120 jobs in the South, 75 in the North, 30 in the West, 60 in the East, and 25 in Ile-de-France. The week aims to highlight tourism careers, training, and sector growth, with a focus on summer job opportunities, accessible to all candidates, including the unqualified.

🍴 EPMT's last Open House of 2025 will be held on Saturday, March 8th, from 9 am to 5 pm, at the campus in the 17th arrondissement. Simon Verger, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2019, joins EPMT as the ambassador for 2025-2026. The event features apprenticeship program discoveries from CAP to Bac+5, including hospitality, catering, pastry, chocolate-making, and sommellerie, culinary demonstrations, and admission interviews for the 2025 intake. Continuous training available for employees and career changers.

🏠 In a study by Polimi School of Management on 1021 large European companies, 69% have invested in AI with active projects. The Netherlands, UK, and France lead in AI adoption. The "State of Tourism and Hospitality" by McKinsey 2024 reports a 20% profit increase and 15% operating cost reduction from AI implementation in bookings and data management. AI applications in tourism include personalized recommendations, market trend prediction, dynamic pricing, chatbot interaction, sentiment analysis, and security measures. Zak's hotel management system offers yield management and chatbot integration, enhancing operational efficiency. AI is also subject to recent European regulations ensuring responsible use.

???? In 2023, direct bookings generated only 28.8% of online revenue for European hotels, with 71.2% coming from indirect channels like OTAs. Booking.com dominated, accounting for 43% of online hotel revenue in Europe. OTAs charge hotels commissions ranging from 15% to 30%. Expedia, the third-largest sales channel, saw a 1% market share increase over the previous year. Airbnb offers two fee structures: shared fees with hosts paying around 3% and guests up to 14.2%, or host-only fees between 14% and 16%. Hotels.com, under the Expedia Group, likely has a similar commission structure, while Agoda's commissions range between 15% and 25%. Tripadvisor, unlike others, uses a paid subscription model and pay-per-click advertising rather than direct booking commissions.

🎥 Moment Factory, led by General Manager Europe & Middle-East Stéphane Roisin, partnered with Groupe Pathé for the immersive revamp of La Géode cinema, aiming for a continuous experience from entrance to projection. Their "Originals" formats, like the 10-year "AURA Invalides," eschew virtual reality headsets for inclusive, physical meetups. Moment Factory's services extend beyond entertainment, enhancing customer experiences in sectors like hotels, with projects like the Grand Magic Hotel near Disneyland Paris, and the Santiago Bernabéu stadium. Upcoming 2025 projects include a nocturnal forest path in Istanbul and a permanent installation in a Normandy arboretum.

🏖 40% of French people can't afford vacations annually. Fondation Je pars, tu pars, il part, for over 10 years, aided 1000 families in 2024. Social networks contrast with reality; 56% of non-vacationers feel too ashamed to discuss it, and 11% lie about it. The foundation deems vacation access a social priority, creating bonds among adults and children. In 2024, they provided 35,000 nights of holidays to families, earning recognition at the Hospitality Awards.