Colombia | 8.5% Increase in Visitors in the First Half of 2024


Colombia received 3.1 million visitors in the first half of 2024, a number that means an increase of 8.5% compared to the same period last year.

The South American country is a destination that has long stood out in inbound tourism thanks to its immense cultural and gastronomic richness and these data confirm that this country is; one of Latin America's favorites for travelers coming from abroad.

During the 28th edition of the National Congress of Travel and Tourism Agencies ANATO attended by the National Government and more than 800 participants from the tourism sector, the essential importance of joint work between the public-private sectors was reflected and the Executive President of ANATO stated that these figures continue to contribute positively to the travel industry.

The countries with the highest income from foreign visitors continued to be the United States of America, Mexico and Ecuador respectively with 30%, 8% and 8%

The nations that are consolidating with the greatest growth in terms of the number of international visitors who reach Colombia for reasons related to tourism or business are Guatemala with an increase of 62% and followed by Honduras and Costa Rica with an increase of 57% and 49% respectively.

In terms of statistics, the top three colombian destinations that recorded the highest number of visitors were Bogotá with 33%, Antioquia 27% and Bolivar 22%.

As far as the departments are concerned, in terms of arrival and arrival of travellers, Antioquia recorded an increase of 30%, followed by Bolivar with 25% and Risaralda with 18%.

The Union Leader stated that work must continue on key factors such as security, formalization and revision of the requirements of the RNT, the National Tourism Registry) to further encourage quality visits by international tourists to domestic destinations with tourism potential that allow them to discover unique and diverse experiences.

link https://www.expreso.info/noticias/internacional/101833_crece_un_85_la_llegada_de_visitantes_no_residentes_colombia

Mercer Plaza Sevilla | New Hotel Jewel in Seville

 

Mercer Hoteles, hotel group with a defined philosophy to create unique experiences by developing elegant and refined details in the interior design in historic buildings and meticulously taking care of the culinary aspect, has a new jewel, concretely in Seville, the largest center of the autonomous community of Andalusia.

The Hotel Mercer Plaza Sevilla is the name of this accommodation is located at numbers 11 and 12 in Plaza San Francisco, in the historic center of Seville a few steps from Plaza Nueva in front of the Plateresque façade of the City Hall, the Cathedral and Plaza Del Salvador providing  25 rooms and suites with a typical local gastronomy inspired by the Sevillian lifestyle.

The Mercer Plaza Sevilla occupies two buildings that began as residences of family residences of a flourishing bourgeoisie of the second decade of the twentieth century.

The first building, dating back to 1912, was developed by Jose Espiau y Muñoz, while the second, built two years later was a work by Juan de Talavera Heredia, two architects with ties to the style in vogue of the time, modernism, but in the end both adhering to regionalism.

This turn-of-the-century regionalism is deeply and genuinely Sevillian in the structure of the Mercer Plaza Sevilla and the interior design mixes international and local styles and references creating a unique environment. Craftsmanship, manual processing and admiration for natural materials combine as if by magic the rich heritage of different civilizations that have marked the history of Seville.

This current is based on the transition between the two centuries, the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with the mission of recovering the monumental architecture of the past by incorporating elements of Baroque, Gothic and Mudejar styles, also allowing you to travel to the most remote past and contemplate the remains of the Roman walls that have remained hidden for centuries and re-emerged during the works visible in one of the courtyards and giving light to a piece of Roman history in Seville.

Respect for history is present in the integration of protected elements of the buildings into the new spaces such as the central glazed courtyard or the staircase covered with Sevillian tiles of the twentieth century.

The rooms are luxurious without entering into opulence, they try to convey serenity with indigo and inky gray tones, a veiled and silent luxury with the presence of the contemporary in the icons of twentieth-century design, the craftsmanship with an absolutely impeccable wooden work of expert carpenters and the historical that preserves the characteristic elements of these two ancient Sevillian houses with their traditional tiles and the distribution around the courtyards

The rooms are luxurious without being opulent. They seek serenity, dyed indigo or inky gray. It is a silent luxury where the contemporary is present in the icons of twentieth-century design; the craftsmanship, in an impeccable work with the wood of local carpenters and the historical, preserving the characteristic elements of these two old Sevillian houses, whether it is their tiles or their distribution around their courtyards.

 

The hotel, one of the two accommodations of the Spanish hotel group, is located in the top of the most luxurious hotels in Seville, offering guests a large terrace developed on the roof with solarium and a swimming pool area covered with aquamarine tiles.

Other amenities are a terrace with a bar overlooking the cathedral and the Giralda, the restaurant called Bar Plaza located on the ground floor with direct access presents a menu where local cuisine predominates and a Japanese restaurant called Shikaku overlooking the Roman walls discovered during the rehabilitation of the building.

The CEO and founder of Mercer Hoteles said that it is located in one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the mission is to help guests discover it by looking for its uniqueness 

From the beginning the property has been managed by Mercer Hoteles and after the transition to a foreign franchise it will now be managed with its own brand and with its quality standards that have transformed this category into a reference of excellence in hospitality in Spain.

After an experience of almost a decade with Mercer Sevilla at Casa Palacios, we will continue to commit ourselves to this city that continues to have enormous potential to attract travelers who demand hospitality and quality services.

Mercer Plaza Sevilla will follow in the footsteps of the first hotel opened in this city that has become an international landmark in a destination in itself.

The key to the success of Mercer Hoteles is based on three essential pillars such as exceptional rental in meticulously and carefully restored buildings, careful gastronomy in the group's restaurants, a service that becomes an ally of the guests, from the concierge who is the best travel companion to the staff trained to no have to say no.

The art of hospitality combines many of the passions within the group, design, culture that have to do with the environment but also surprising the guest with a delicipus meal. Fresh flowers or being the accomplice of the guests.

Historically, the Mercer Hoteles Group was born in 2005 with its first opening in Barcelona with the Mercer Residences Bòria BCN, an eighteenth-century building located in the Born district. In 2009 there was the opening of Mercer Casa Torner i Güell, developed in a modernist building in the center of Vilafranca del Penedes.

In 2012 the first five-star Grand Luxury was inaugurated in Barcelona in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, renovated by Rafael Moneo with the design of Amanda Molina and today the flagship of the hotel group.

In 2016 the city of Seville is the chosen for a new adventure in a beautiful setting such as the Anadalusa capital and to open is the Palacio Castelar, housed in a nineteenth-century Borghese palace in the district of El Arenal and transformed into a five-star Grand Luxury: the Mercer Sevilla.

The update came from the architects Cruz and Ortiz, responsible for the reform of the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, among other emblematic projects.

Two years later it is the turn of EME Catedral Mercer located in the charming Sevillian neighborhood, the Barrio de Santa Cruz.

2024 marks the beginning of the group's fastest growing period with the arrival of the Mercer Plaza Sevilla but also with a luxury apartment division with butlers in Barcelona and Seville.

The brand stands out for its accentuated vision of creating accommodation in historic buildings, renovated by great masters of architecture and with a firm commitment to conservation and an ambitious and ostentatious design.

Each hotel in the group brilliantly blends different styles creating its own identity and spirit and all are located in key locations in the historic city centres.

Link https://www.expreso.info/noticias/hoteles/101844_un_nuevo_hotel_mercer_para_sevilla

Puglia – Hospitality | Non – Hotel Accommodation Increases

 

PugliaPromozione, the regional tourism agency, according to data updated on August 4th, has made official the change in terms of use of of accommodation has been underway for some time in this Italian region.

On a census that covered about 73% of the accommodation in Puglia, the number of beds outside hotels has doubled while those in hotels have decreased.

Very significant the increasing  of the tourist rentals that  are now 235.000 compared to 2022 when they were just over 152.000.

Hotels are down on the regional territory except in the province of Barletta - Andria - Trani where they grow by 9.1% and in the province of Taranto where an increase of 5% has been seen.

In the province of Bari, 3.7% of hotels and 7.8% of beds have been lost in two years, while non-hotel facilities have increased by 5.6% with an increase of 11.7% in rooms and 11.9% in beds.

Link https://www.ttgitalia.com/incoming/puglia-cambia-il-ricettivo-aumenta-l-extralberghiero-NE20718041

IHG Hotels & Resorts | Vignette Collection Debuts in Budapest

 


Intecontinental Hotels Group marketed as IHG Hotels & Resorts, well-known British multinational hospitality group headquartered in Windsor – Berkshire has expanded its Vignette Collection luxury lifestyle portfolio in Hungary by adding its first property, the Verno House Budapest.

This new property is located between the iconic Freedom Square in the Lipótváros district, a mix of business and residential, and the Danube, and has 48 deluxe, premium and suite rooms with views of the nearest park and the city.

The hotel has the Flava Kitchen & More restaurant with 106 seats with indoor and outdoor service on its side terrace offering a North African and Middle Eastern inspired menu and enlivened by the presence of a live DJ at weekends.

A further highlight of the Verno House is the BOTANIQ Collection Wellness Department which boasts Turkish bath, Finnish sauna, Jacuzzi, fitness center. 

Brand features of the Vignette Collection also include Memorable Rituals which aims to showcase the identity and spirit of each hotel. At Verno House, a Treat Bar in the lobby offers a range of candies and chocolates that pay homage to Hungarian culture and heritage while delighting guests.

As part of the Journey to Tommow ESG plan developed by IHG Hotels & Resorts, each hotel part of the Vignette Collection also runs its own initiative identified with the motto "A Means For Good" by partnering with a local non-profit organization. 

Available for in-house purchase of the minibar, Verno House has entered into a partnership with Kék Madár Alapitváni (Blue Bird Foundation) which promotes employment opportunities for people with disabilities through its BeSweet chocolate brand created by employees with disabilities.

Verno House General Manager Tamás Nehéz enthusiastically expressed the opening of Verno House, the first hotel in IHG Hotels & Resorts' Vignette Collection in Budapest, and that the team has worked hard to ensure that the guest experience is true to heritage, offering an oasis of tranquility to all those who wish to explore Budapest with all that the Hungarian capital has to offer. offering them meaningful and memorable stays at this one-of-a-kind hotel.

With this new opening, there are 18 hotels in function within the Vignette Collection with other 20 in the pipeline.

link https://boutiquehotelnews.com/news/hotel/vignette-collection-hungary/

Eindhoven – The Netherlands | City’s Design Routes Launch and Promotion

  Eindhoven , relevant city located in the province of North Brabant in the south Netherlands, part of the natural region the Campine , ...