Tourexpi
His
remarks came during the opening of the Hosteltur 2025 Forum, held at the Meliá
Castilla Hotel in Madrid.
Highlighting
recent milestones, Hereu pointed to a historic high in tourism-related
employment, with 2.7 million jobs recorded in Q1 2025—a 1.2% increase compared
to the same period in 2024. He stated that this reflects the success of public
policies aimed at strengthening tourism governance and ensuring a fairer
distribution of the sector’s benefits.
"Tourism
is experiencing a moment of great dynamism," Hereu remarked, "and it
is crucial to stay ahead of emerging challenges and turn them into strategic
opportunities for boosting competitiveness and sustainability—two key pillars
for the future of tourism."
Focus
on Digitalisation
The
Minister also emphasized the critical role of digital transformation, noting
that over 440 digitalisation projects have already been launched under
government support schemes. These initiatives aim to reduce operational costs,
enhance efficiency, and promote innovation—not only among major hotel chains
but across small hotels, restaurants, and local tourism businesses, which must
also be empowered to seize digital opportunities.
Hereu
further highlighted sustainability as a major long-term challenge. He outlined
the government’s Plan for the Modernisation and Competitiveness of the Tourism
Sector, which includes a historic €3.4 billion public investment—the largest
ever dedicated to Spain’s tourism industry. This ambitious strategy seeks to
ensure that sustainability becomes a central axis of the sector’s
transformation.
Celebrating
its 20th anniversary, the Hosteltur Forum has once again brought together CEOs,
industry leaders, and policy makers to discuss the key challenges facing
tourism today, particularly in light of global geopolitical instability and
economic uncertainty.
Source and Image Credit:
Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism
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