In this context, Travel2latam spoke with Leonel Reyes, Corporate Sales Director of RCD Hotels.
What are the objectives of being present at WTM for another year?
We are very happy to be our second year with a stand. For RCD and all the brands we handle, it is a great pleasure to be in this important market, now with the news that the Mexican visa will be released very soon according to the authorities. This great news is accompanied by our opening of Ava with 1,600 rooms in Cancun. We are super happy because it is a great challenge for us, it is a new brand, and we are bringing these new features to all of Latin America. We are doing seven launch events, Brazil is the fourth. We also carry information about our partnership with Marriott that continues to grow, now with two hotels in Santo Domingo.
It is important to highlight the investment they made in the country to have a large work team...
Correct, we have here in Brazil, four people for our commercial management, one person for groups, one for leisure and another for incentives. The group market has a very good presence for us, with all the facilities that we as RCD work with. And the wedding market is growing very strongly, we have been working with it for five years now, and it continues to grow. And even with a visa we continue selling. The important thing is that for RCD the visa is a procedure, it is not an impediment for Brazilians to go and enjoy any of the hotels.
Which hotels of the chain are definitely the favorites of Brazilians?
Due to the political situation, Hard Rock Punta Cana was our best-selling property in Brazil last year. Nowadays it is very important to see that even with only two months of being with Ava's promotion, we already have group and wedding sales for Ava from Brazil. The official opening is in June, but we have already been selling since the beginning of the year.
We are very happy to see this great influx and even the presence that the Brazilian public has for the Pacific Hotels with Nobu Hotel Los Cabos and Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos. We are finding that the Brazilian market is shaping up for each of the brands we handle, according to customer needs.
How is the demand in these first months of the year?
The truth is that we managed to reach our goal very happy. We are almost eight, or nine percent up. It has been moving very well, we see an important growing trend.
What are the next events in which you will be presenting?
We are only here for the weekend, we have already started our work in Paraguay, which is our next stop. We continue in Peru, which is our last event of the semester. In addition, we have two important luxury fams that we will be receiving in the chain, both in Punta Cana and in Mexico.