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🎂 A Lightspeed Commerce Inc. study reveals a 24% increase in the average spending of French customers during the holiday season in 2024, despite decreased restaurant outings. Lightspeed, a comprehensive commerce platform, analyzed over 1,700 restaurants using their all-in-one cash register software in France to conclude this festive period as a growth driver for restaurateurs, positively affecting revenue and average spending per head.

💳 In a study by Adyen, 11% of travelers prefer paying by phone, while 51% of hoteliers believe it's a popular option. However, 26% of clients wouldn't book if asked for credit card details by phone, and 71% worry about fraud risks. The average loss per traveler due to fraud in 2024 was €670. Only 53% of hosts feel fully PCI compliant. The Bank of France is reforming MoTo payments due to high fraud levels after a June 10 plan. About 10% of hotel customers have experienced payment fraud. In 2024, 38% of tourism businesses saw a rise in fraud attacks, with up to 20 incidents a year for 7% of them. The average fraud-related loss could reach €1 million.

🏦 Christophe Laure, leader of InterContinental Paris Le Grand and seven other establishments in Southern Europe, with education from École Hôtelière de Lausanne and Cornell University, presides over the Prestige section of a major hotel professional union. Despite a luxury sector "a bit out of time," a slowdown is evident, especially post-Olympics in Paris, with luxury hospitality showing modesty and decline. Geopolitical instability affects the market, with Chinese and Middle Eastern demand not recovering to previous levels.

🏦 Maud Bailly, an ENA and ENS graduate, began her career in public service, alternating between major corporations and ministerial offices. She joined Accor Group in 2017 as Chief Digital Officer and executive committee member. By 2020, she led Group activities in France and Southern Europe, and as of January 2023, oversees brand development for Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems. The luxury market experienced annual growth of approximately 2% in hotel inventory versus 5% in economic growth. Despite the COVID crisis affecting the sector into 2022, under Bailly's charge, the Southern Europe division, with 1,900 hotels, continued to open a new hotel every four days.

💾 A study on arXiv suggests that accurate demand forecasting in hotel revenue management can increase revenue by 13.3%. The guide discusses the use of two essential concepts: pickup, to anticipate demand, and compset, for competitive analysis, combined with external factors to maximize revenue. The article illustrates how to track reservations (pickup) and adapt pricing strategies dynamically, as well as how to monitor competitors (compset) and market signals to remain competitive. The case study highlights a 75% increase in pickup year-over-year, prompting a price increase of 15% during an international event, and implementing a minimum two-night stay to optimize occupancy.

🏨 During the broadcast of "Check-In, l'émission" on January 30, Pierre Ferchaud discussed the concept of "invisible" hotel clients, shedding light on this overlooked demographic in the hospitality industry. The interview was featured in La Tribune de l'Hôtellerie, a key source for hotel industry news.

💰 Booking.com introduced new General Terms of Service (CGP) in December 2024, with clauses 2.1.5 and 2.1.6 raising concerns, the latter not creating a contractual obligation for hoteliers to provide availability. The CGP may be updated to correct grammatical errors by summer. Hotels with different commercial names face technical issues with Booking's Know Your Partner (KYP) form, risking invisibility on the platform after January 28, 2025, if unresolved. A new rating system was implemented on January 23, expected to maintain or improve most scores.

🛫 Booking.com, Google, and OpenAI are competing in travel bookings using AI tools such as Trip Planner, chatbot Gemini, and Operator. OpenAI's Operator, in Beta for pro subscribers, connects with platforms like TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Priceline, and more, offering complete reservation capabilities. Travelers face a choice between sticking with familiar platforms or switching to AI assistants from Google or OpenAI. Operator allows for setting preferences and direct booking through partner platforms. Tripadvisor has also partnered with Perplexity, showcasing the intensifying rivalry.

💸 The new U.S. President denounced the OECD/G20 agreement on a global minimum tax of 15%, previously concluded by 140 countries in 2021. This accord applied to multinationals with over €750 million in revenue and was ratified by France (transposed into the 2024 Finance Law). It aimed at ensuring a minimum 15% tax rate on profits globally, projected to yield over $220 billion annually worldwide and between €1.5 to €5 billion for France. The U.S. withdrawal may lead to intensified tax competition among countries and impact international trade.

🏢 On January 30, 2025, the first "live recorded" show on "New Technologies and Hospitality" will feature Franco-Swiss actress Anne Richard, from "Rentrée 42" at Comédie Bastille, original from École Hôtelière de Lausanne. Hosted by Eric Rajaud and Pierre Ferchaud, join the 45-minute session at 12:00 PM with Magali Elhage, Laurent Larochelle, Christophe Gamon, and Léa de Chambure. Sneak peeks will be broadcast the following week.