Top News

🏨 Mews, a cloud-based hotelier, secures $100 million from Vista Credit Partners, a strategic credit and financing partner focused on enterprise software, data, and technology markets. This funding aims to propel Mews' growth and its M&A program to become a market leader amid the $15.5 trillion global travel and tourism sector's cloud adoption. Mews Ventures, the company's investment and business development branch, has acquired nine hospitality companies and will continue investing in technology and teams to drive industry-wide tech transformation. Mews CEO Matthijs Welle emphasizes the opportunity to enhance the digital transformation of leading hospitality brands with this investment from an experienced enterprise software investor.

💡 ADEME, OID, and the French Ministry of Ecological Transition released an analysis of over 740,000 declarations, covering 46% of the French tertiary sector's surface. Key findings include a decrease in the improved knowledge of the weight of different activity categories and energy consumption indicators. The tertiary decree, part of the Eco Energy Tertiary Device (DEET), requires tertiary buildings over 1,000 m² to cut energy consumption by 40% by 2030, 50% by 2040, and 60% by 2050, using a reference year between 2010 and 2019. DEET is managed by the DGALN of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, with ADEME developing the platform.

🏡 Maison Albar Hotels, part of Centaurus Group, set to open Le Victoria*****, a new luxury hotel in Nice, in October 2024. Located between the Promenade des Anglais and Place Masséna, the hotel features design by GOMIS agency and Studio MHNA. It will offer 102 rooms, 30 suites, a 650m2 spa, fitness area, four reception lounges, and a large rooftop with restaurant 'le Taulissa' by Glenn Viel, a bar, and a pool offering views of the Mediterranean Sea. Luxury boutiques will occupy 5,500m2 at the building's base, and the beach is just 30 meters away.

🎮 La Cité des sciences et de l'industrie lance le jeu "Mars 2084" sur le métavers Spatial.io, comme extension de son exposition "Mission Spatiale". Le jeu, jouable sur ordinateur, tablette ou smartphone, propose aux joueurs de plus de 12 ans de trouver l'emplacement d'une base humaine sur Mars. Les trois premières missions sont gratuites, et l'accès complet coûte environ 1,80 euro pour une durée totale de jeu de 1h30. En outre, un calculateur carbone pour évaluer l'impact environnemental du jeu sera disponible bientôt.

📺 "Tech Care," the travel tech show, premiered at IFTM Top Resa 2024. The episode featured discussions on the digital legacy of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games with EONA-X's CEO Charles Telitsine, Paris je t’aime’s General Director Corinne Menegaux, and Affluences Founder Paul Bouzol. It also included startup pitches from Alltheway, Around.Us, and Visitmoov, insights on Travelsoft's growth ambitions from VP Charles Tandonnet, and a segment on the future of flying taxis by Hugo Pellegrin.

🏕 Collective Hospitality expands its travel lifestyle and experiential offerings by acquiring Selina, adding about 100 properties across major cities in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The merger caters to Gen Z and millennial travelers seeking community-oriented, authentic experiences. With properties like Slumber Party, Bodega Hostels, and Socialtel resorts, Collective becomes one of the largest lifestyle hospitality owners/operators globally. CEO Gary Murray celebrates the alignment of Selina's innovative approach with Collective's vision for memorable customer experiences.

🏨 Edgar Suites, a French leader in luxury aparthotels, became a B Corp in July 2024, affirming its positive societal impact. Having over 200 criteria, B Corp certifies high social and environmental standards. Audited by B Lab France, Edgar Suites, already a mission-driven company since 2022, aims for 3000 rooms by 2027. With a score of 81.7, well above the average of 50.9, it joins over 7,000 global companies, including 475 in France, committed to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

🏨 Launched in 2023, Handwritten Collection by Accor opened 4 new French locations recently. "Hôtel Maison Hamelin" in Paris boasts 65 rooms, a lively bar, and a spa. "Fort Saint-Laurent Hôtel & Spa" in Lyon, with 36 rooms, opened in late August, offering city views and nautical passion. "Hôtel Plaza de Biarritz Plage", facing the ocean in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, houses 69 rooms in a historic building with monochromatic art and a retro bar. "Hôtel Castel de Maintenon" in Eure-et-Loir, an hour from Paris, located in the gardens of Louis XIV's spouse, provides 78 keys for business and leisure guests. Handwritten Collection, with 17 establishments in 11 countries, is rapidly growing, with 25 ongoing hotel projects, 150 discussions underway, and plans to open 250 new hotels by 2030.

🏖️ Phocuswright's study forecasts a 6-10% annual growth in the global travel market until 2026, with the industry surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 24% in 2023, reaching $1.5 trillion in bookings. Online travel bookings are expected to grow nearly 10% from 2023 to 2026, with online bookings projected to constitute 65% of all travel bookings by 2026, up from 61% in 2023. North America holds the largest regional travel market, while Europe and the Asia-Pacific region lead in online penetration.

🌊 Marrakech tops KAYAK.fr's autumn travel trends for French travelers, followed by Bangkok and Tokyo. International flight prices have dropped by an average of 9% this autumn compared to last year. Optimal booking period is September 16-22, 2024, for international flights and November 18-24 for domestic flights. The data reflects preferences for the Toussaint school holidays (October 19 - November 3). Bali also makes the top 10.