FITUR 2026 live
FITUR kicked off today in Madrid. Gonzalo is there to have real conversations, not to pose for photos. And the summer season in Argentina: 75-100% occupancy.
FITUR kicks off in Madrid today and here I am, at the fairgrounds, writing to you between meetings.
Why I came to FITUR
I didn't come to FITUR for a pretty booth or to show up in photos. I came to talk. To speak with hoteliers from Spain, Latin America, and other parts of the world about what they're experiencing, what worries them, and how they're adapting to changes in the market.
Those conversations are the ones I learn the most from and the ones that give me the most value to bring to you every two weeks.
What I'm already seeing
Three patterns that keep coming up in today's conversations:
- The traveler is deciding closer to the travel date. Less advance planning, more last-minute decisions. For hotels: more dynamic revenue management and more reactive communication.
- The traveler asks more questions before booking. Inquiries before confirming have increased significantly. There are more doubts, more comparison, more need for reassurance before committing the money.
- The traveler expects immediate responses. Not within the day. Not within the hour. Within minutes. If you don't respond fast, they're already talking to the hotel next door.
Argentina summer season 2026
From Argentina comes good news for the region's hoteliers: the summer season is projected to reach occupancy levels of 75% to 100% in the main destinations.
For hotels that have availability, now is the time to capture direct bookings before the OTAs take that margin.
— Gonzalo Rioja
