From November 28 to 30, 2023, the Spanish capital will once again be the center of the high-impact travel sector. The third edition of Forward_MAD will be held at the city's Museum of Contemporary Art and will have the support of the Community of Madrid, in addition to the participation and assistance of international professionals from travel agencies, hotels, investment funds, media transportation, tours and other activities.
At the conference, experts in the luxury industry and associated companies, whether in tourism, lifestyle or fashion, will analyze the evolution of these sectors, as well as the tourism and high-impact travelers segment, which has evolved from a terrain with defined and poorly permeable borders, to a more volatile and flexible concept, capable of accommodating the needs and priorities of many audiences. Not only has it adapted to new consumer trends, digitalization and the spirit of the times in order to appeal to various generations, but the traditional notion of “luxury” has expanded to accommodate the new demands of travelers.
As in previous editions, the event program will combine presentations and round tables, which will address trends, challenges and opportunities in the high-value tourism segment, with opportunities to expand your professional network of contacts. One of the objectives of Forward_MAD 2023 is to create and expand the luxury tourism ecosystem to promote and consolidate Madrid as a destination in this segment. The crafts and trades of the region will gain special relevance, essential as a differentiating element with respect to other destinations.
Among the speakers confirmed to date are:
Luis Martín, director of Tourism of the Community of Madrid.
Hanna Kleber, President of Kleber Group
Yuriy Horovyy, Founder and CEO of Almont Travel (United Kingdom).
Jules Schroeder, Chief Operations Officer of Insider Expeditions (United States).
Francisco Carvalheira, general secretary of Laurel (Portugal).
Clara Elliott-Bauzá, Brand Partnership Lead at TikTok.
Silvia Martínez, director of Tourism at Galería Canalejas (Madrid).
Filip Boyen, Senior Advisor, Corinthia Hotels.
Fernando Vives, Chief Commercial Officer of NH Hoteles.
Natalia Bayona, executive director of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Maribel Rodríguez, SVP of Members, Commercial and Events of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Chris Fradin, SVP Partner Services EMEA & APC, Forbes Travel Guide.
Héctor Coronel, Director of Tourism of the Madrid City Council.
High-impact tourism as an economic engine
Tourism has continued to grow in Madrid since the last edition of Forward_MAD in October 2022, in part due to the end of global travel restrictions.
According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), around 6.04 international tourists visited the Community of Madrid in 2022, to which were added the nearly 11 million trips made by Spanish tourists to the region. From January to July 2023, the volume of international tourists who visited the Community of Madrid increased by nearly 24 percent with the United States, France, Mexico and Italy as the main source markets.
According to figures from Madrid Destino, of the 3.64 million travelers who spent the night in hotels in the Spanish capital from January to July of this year, 2.33 million chose a four-star hotel and nearly 424,000 tourists did so in hotels in Madrid. five stars, which represents an increase of 8.9 and 7.3 percent compared to 2022. Currently, Madrid has 36 five-star and very luxury hotels, three more than in 2022. The 57, 2 percent of guests at hotels in this category are international.
The luxury tourism segment has a greater impact on the economy due to the greater spending that travelers make in the destinations they visit. For example, the average daily rate of hotel establishments in Madrid is 139.98 euros, that of four- and five-star hotels amounts to 202.98 euros and 280.96 euros, respectively. Regarding the average income per available room, it is 99.94 euros, while in four and five star hotels it exceeds 133 and 172 euros.
Fuente: Forward_Travel.