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🎭 Art Explora's itinerant cultural festival started in March 2024 in Malta and will conclude in 2026, touring 15 countries. Convious was enlisted to manage reservations, optimize visitor flow, and tailor experiences to local expectations. The bateau-musée accommodates 40 visitors every 15 minutes, and the VR experience lasts 20 minutes. Convious's back-office allows local staff to adjust quotas in real-time, accounting for local booking habits, like in Morocco where online ticket purchasing isn't common. Automated marketing tools are used for pre- and post-visit communication. The Marseille chapter included a donation module benefiting the Art Explora foundation, offering unlimited festival access and rewards like a magazine and tote bag, with donations potentially unlocking a dinner raffle.

🍴 Nicola Zamperetti appointed as Executive Chef of Collegio alla Querce, opening in Florence in March 2025. This will be the first Italian property of Auberge Resorts Collection and its third in Europe. Zamperetti, from Veneto, has worked with Michelin-starred chefs Massimiliano Alajmo and Ciccio Sultano. He helped open Pastamara in Vienna's Ritz Carlton in 2017 and was recently at W Rome, recognized by Condé Nast Traveler in 2023. Collegio alla Querce will feature four restaurants offering traditional Italian cuisine with local, seasonal ingredients.

🏕 The Gorini family, deeply rooted in Val Thorens for three generations, has been shaping the resort since its inception in 1971. Marc and Sandrine Gorini started with a crêperie in 1973 and expanded their presence by opening Hotel 3 Vallées in 1979. The family business now includes a laundry service, real estate agency, Restaurant Chalet de la Marine (2006), and the five-star Hotel Pashmina (2015). They also took over Chalet des 2 lacs in 2017, offering immersive experiences like Igloo Pod overnight stays.

🏠 Comfort Zone, an Italian brand known for sustainable beauty, has partnered with TOO Hotel in Paris, marking its first collaboration with a hotel in the city. The spa at TOO Hotel, TOO Chill, now features Comfort Zone's products, including the Hydramemory line with prickly pear, offering hydration-focused treatments and specific spa services such as fruit-based peelings and anti-aging effects. Guests can enjoy 20-minute express treatments or full-hour sessions with cryo-spoons for serum application. The spa also boasts an extensive massage menu and an outdoor terrace with a large, secluded Jacuzzi.

🪰 Accor's eco-friendly hotel brand greet opened its first sustainable hotel, greet Brussels Airport Zaventem, near Brussels Airport, featuring 68 rooms with recycled decorative items like mirrors and cabinets from second-hand stores. Launched in 2019, greet emphasizes circular hospitality, local culture, and eco-responsible partners such as Dizy for breakfast tables and The Good Stuff Factory for upcycled furniture. The hotel offers local food products and staff uniforms by sustainable Belgian brand Stanley/Stella.

🏖️ Club Mac partnered with Mirai a decade ago to boost direct sales in a tour operator-dominated sector. Initially, Club Mac's direct sales were 6% of total revenue in 2013; by the end of 2023, this soared to 36%, with the hotel's website becoming the main sales channel. Investment in visibility led to a reduced support commission of 3.6%. The collaboration introduced innovative tools like Mirai's engine and Book, Think & Pay, with Club Mac pioneering in adopting new solutions. Despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, their partnership strengthened, focusing on technology and unified team strategies to transform distribution myths into success stories.

🏨 voco Maroochydore, a 153-room upscale hotel located on Ocean Street, is part of a mixed-use development aimed at transforming Maroochydore’s accommodation offerings and attracting national and international visitors. Cameron Burke, IHG Hotels & Resorts Development Director for Australasia and Pacific, highlights the Sunshine Coast’s need for new accommodation and the role of projects like voco Maroochydore in boosting the local economy. The mixed-use development will also feature nine luxury residences above the hotel. Michael Maroun, CEO and Founder of Felix Capital, expresses excitement about the second strategic partnership with IHG Hotels & Resorts, anticipating job creation and regional showcase in anticipation of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

🔔 Hotels face a daily deluge of customer inquiries across phone, email, social media, instant messaging, and front desk, often repetitive and overwhelming for staff. Factors such as incomplete online information, language barriers, and specific service confirmations contribute to this influx. Not addressing these questions means missed opportunities for direct bookings, customer loyalty, and positive reviews. AI solutions like HiJiffy are increasingly being adopted to streamline communication, enhance the customer experience, and reduce staff workload.

🎡 L'incroyable journée du Voyage Insolite, un salon touristique novateur, se tiendra le mardi 21 janvier 2025. Avec une structure de salon revisité, l'événement comportera quatre temps forts: une pièce de théâtre interactive avec 40 exposants-comédiens et deux représentations accueillant 250 spectateurs chacune, un espace de rencontres médias-exposants, la deuxième édition des Trophées du Voyage Insolite, et une vente aux enchères exclusive en présentiel et en ligne.

🛈 Booking.com, fined €413 million by Spanish Competition Authority for abusive contracting practices, appeals. Simultaneously, the Spanish Hotel Managers Association (AEDH) initiates a class action with law firm Eskariam for substantial financial compensation. The CNMC identified abusive clauses in Booking.com's contracts, leading to the revision. Eskariam estimates damages between 1.5% and 2% of annual turnover since contract inception until last summer's revision, averaging nearly €2 million per hotel involved.