Fresh breeze through the window
Dear Insider,
There are still politicians out there who don't just congratulate themselves, but also listen carefully to criticism. At our HOT premier last week, one might have wondered whether that's because this first dialogue – the "Window to Politics" - was dominated by three women? Everything just sounded so pragmatic. The only man in this group was a perfect complement. As COO of Extendam, a European private equity company, Matthieu Dracs knew how to formulate investor interests in a brisk and succinct manner.
Sarah Douag felt the fresh breeze through the window. Moderator Ufi Ibrahim, now Chief Executive of the investor club Energy and Environment Alliance (EEA), also knows politics from the inside (e.g. through the WTTC) and brought the statements to the point; Susanne Kraus-Winkler, newly appointed Chairwoman of the Federal Tourism and Leisure Industry Division in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, criticised the EU repeatedly and clearly in her role as lobbyist. But Dr. Nikolina Brnjac, MEP (Member of the European Parliament) and former Croatian Minister of Tourism, stood her ground - and in the end urged the hospitality industry to work together with the EU.
We need to come together! And take advantage of the new proximity to the EU for next year's HOT Edition 2 (we're working on the date!). ... More
Magazine
2024 was a challenging year for the hotel industry in many respects. And 2025? Christie & Co's figures, released right on time in the middle of the year, offer hope. However, there are no large portfolios for sale, but there is movement in the lifestyle and luxury segments.
Expo Real
Content Partner
The "RFP season" is in full swing. However, the rules of the game for these Requests For Proposals have changed for 2026 . The traditional focus on booking volume and price is increasingly giving way to a strategic view of the purpose of business travel.
Under the motto "Think ahead instead of just reacting", Quality Reservations is organising the QR Vordenker-Tage, a regional event series in Germany for hoteliers. Following successful events in Stuttgart and the QR headquarters in Hanover, the third event will take place in Münster on 4 June 2025.
By recognising hotels for their inspiring, holistic approach to online sales, Quality Reservations (QR) is setting new motivational accents. The measures implemented range from efficiency-enhancing 2-way interfaces to MICE links.
News Mix overview
Marketplace
Many manufacturers and service providers now advertise with environmental claims such as "climate neutral" or "biodegradable". Now, such claims and other sweeping statements are to be more strictly regulated, at least in Germany.
The British organisation Independent Publishers Alliance is launching an EU antitrust lawsuit against Google's parent company Alphabet over the provision of AI overviews in Google Search.
191 cities worldwide were examined. How attractive are they for travellers and what factors are important? The frontrunner is surprising.
The Alpine republic set a tourism record in 2024. A study is now set to shed light on the population's attitude. The mood seems positive, but there are also other signals.
HOT Paris
Image gallery of the premiere of Hotels Tomorrow in Paris:
Financial Results
Events to come
HITT Impressions - Brussels 2025
Click to gallery!
Many thanks to everyone for their participation and great commitment and to all sponsors, partners and friends for their diverse support of HITT 2025!
