Top News

🏡 Gîtes de France reports occupancy rate increases for Toussaint holidays: +3% compared to 2023. Week of Oct 19-26 at 65% (+2% vs 2023), Oct 26-Nov 2 at 68% (+4% vs 2023), and Nov 9-11 at 63%. Top autumn destinations include Pas-de-Calais (77.3%), Pyrénées-Atlantiques (76.5%), and Lozère (76.3%). Founded in 1955, Gîtes de France offers over 55,000 lodging options across the country.

🛠 Uzaje, a circular economy ambassador, inaugurated a €3.5M European container washing center in Strasbourg, capable of cleaning tens of thousands of containers daily from various sectors including catering and agri-food industries. Since 2018, over 8.5 million containers have been washed. The Strasbourg center, complementing those in Neuilly-sur-Marne (2021) and Avignon (2022), spans 4000m² and aims for an annual capacity of 100 million units, with plans to create around 40 jobs.

🏕️ Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, focusing on the theme "Global Travel: shaping tomorrow's tourism through enhanced connectivity," will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28 to May 1, 2025. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the travel and tourism sectors are projected to reach a record global economic contribution of $11 trillion in 2024. ATM 2025 aims to play a pivotal role in defining the future of the industry by gathering leisure, MICE, luxury, and business travel professionals for networking and knowledge sharing.

🏦 Franchise Expo Paris returns for its 43rd edition from March 15-17, 2025, organized by Infopro Digital and the French Franchise Federation. As an essential event for project leaders, business creation candidates, and investors, the international-scale expo centers on the franchise universe, focusing on enhancing visitor experience with various initiatives to support their entrepreneurial projects. Originating in 1982, Franchise Expo Paris has become a pivotal event for franchising and entrepreneurship, facilitating connections between project holders and expanding brands.

📈 Expedia consacre jusqu'à 50% de son CA en marketing, et Booking 32%, avec le marché du voyage croissant à un rythme de 8% annuellement. BTIG Research indique que les OTAs privilégient désormais la réservation directe et les réseaux sociaux. Au 2ème trimestre 2024, Airbnb, Booking, Expedia et Trip.com ont dépensé 4,6 milliards $ en marketing, avec Airbnb investissant 573 millions $ (21% du CA), Booking 1,9 milliards $ (32% du CA), Expedia 1,8 milliards $ (50% du CA), et Trip.com 390 millions $ (22% du CA). Booking investit dans les réseaux sociaux, tandis qu'Expedia mise sur la fidélisation et Airbnb sur son application mobile pour réduire la dépendance au marketing conventionnel.

📅 In an analysis by D-EDGE, it's reported that Global Distribution Systems (GDS) are strategic for hotels, particularly for business travel, but remain underutilized. GDS bookings in hospitality grew 54% from January to May in 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The average daily rate (ADR) through GDS is €179, outperforming OTA's €124 to €168, with a lower cancellation rate of 4.6% versus Booking Holdings’ 37.2%. Distribution costs for GDS range between 18%-20%, lower than OTA's and Wholesalers' 20%-40%. "Bleisure" travel, mixing business with leisure, is projected to grow 19.5% annually to $4.2 trillion by 2034.

🏨 Iwona Thomas, owner of Hôtel Liberata & Spa in Île Rousse, Corsica, partners with HotelPartner since May 2024. The hotel experienced a record occupancy of 100% in August, and a steady Booking.com rating of 9.2. Revenue per available room (RevPar) increased by +11% in June, +24% in July, +13% in August, and +17% in September 2024 compared to 2023. After partnering with HotelPartner, occupancy rates rose from 75% (June-September 2023) to 92% in the same period in 2024. New room categories and pricing strategies were introduced, leading to a diversification of clientele and a significant rise in revenue.