Hotel leaders to explore the use of AI and new technologies at TIS2024

Hotel chains such as Hilton, Barceló, AR Hoteles, Radisson, Meliá and Ilunion will share the latest strategies, trends and challenges of the sector at the Hospitality Tech Forum.  

The hotel sector is experiencing, in line with the figures for the tourism sector, a notable improvement in its figures in recent times. In fact, according to Eurostat data, overnight stays in tourist accommodation in the European Union reached 2,920 million last year, with a year-on-year increase of 6,3%. However, the sector also faces many challenges in areas such as sustainability or digitalization; issues that will be on the table at TIS – Tourism Innovation Summit 2024, the summit par excellence of tourism innovation that will take place from October 23 to 25 in Seville, Spain. 

For yet another year, the Tourism Innovation Global Summit will host the Hospitality Tech Forum, which will bring together hotel leaders to share strategies and success stories that address current challenges. In the words of Ángeles Moreno, congress curator of the TIS – Tourism Innovation Summit, “we have designed a very complete program of contents focused on the main challenges and opportunities of the hotel sector, and in which topics such as Chinese luxury tourism, hotel innovation, and tourism massification stand out. TIS2024 will also address advances in big data, artificial intelligence, and circular economy, as well as investments and agreements between hotel owners and operators. The program seeks to inspire tourism leaders with innovative approaches and cutting-edge solutions”.  

One of the main challenges today is sustainability. To address it, Elena Martín (Ilunion Hotels), Sascha Gil (United Waterways), Miguel Figueroa (TUI Care Foundation), and Rolando García (Eurecat), will examine how sustainable and circular economy practices can be integrated into the operations of tourism businesses to minimize waste, improve resource efficiency and promote greater cooperation in relation to the environment.  

In this context of growing social awareness for sustainability and the environment, new business models are emerging. Sara Matarrubia (Meliá Hotels International), Dafna Martin (Adyen) and Juan Manuel Zapata (The Social Hub) will dive into the new trend of sustainable tourism and address how to innovate in the design and construction of sustainable accommodation spaces, such as tree houses and glamping experiences. 

In this important challenge of sustainability, technology becomes a key ally. Thus, Lucía Martínez, CIO of AR Hotels, Edoardo Colombo, president of Turismi.ai (Italian association for artificial intelligence in tourism), and Feliks Kasimi CEO of Cientouno Group, will address how the hotel sector can take advantage of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data to improve decision-making related to sustainability. 

And not only in sustainability, because the use of data is also fundamental to optimize pricing and menu in the F&B field. To analyze strategies that improve operational efficiency and boost profitability, consultant Eduardo Serrano, along with Marga Juan (Barceló Hotel Group), and Esteban Sedano (Hotel Operations at Port Aventura) will share techniques and strategies that lead to better decision-making in buffet management. 

 Technology, in addition to playing a key role in the objectives of sustainability and improving efficiency and management in the hotel sector, is also essential to improve the guest experience, helping to offer unique and personalized experiences. In this sense, Raúl Álvarez (Radisson Hotel Group), Carlo Fontana (Hotel Lugano Dante), Albert Arranz (Mews) and Oliver Benalal (Hesperia World) will share how the application of technological solutions such as virtual tours, personalized recommendations and interactive experiences can improve customer loyalty.  

On the occasion of China as the guest country of TIS2024, the conference will also analyze how to attract luxury tourism from distant countries, such as China. To this end, Pablo Alcantarill (Cavalta Boutique Hotel) and Luis Guerrero (Hotel Bécquer and Hotel Kivir) will explore how to break down barriers and dismantle myths between China and the rest of the world, offering effective strategies to attract high-end Chinese tourists to hotels.