
16th November 2023 16:00 – 18:00
A need for constant evolution
The Mediterranean has some 100.000 hotels and around a million restaurants. The vulnerabilities exposed by the pandemic, such as the oversupply of hotel capacity, bureaucracy, the lack of flexibility and innovation and the inadequate collaboration between all the actors involved, present an opportunity to reinvent the sector.
In addition to providing crisis relief for companies, a cooperative business environment has to be created for all stakeholders. It is urgent to promote a new and more efficient operating model by implementing the latest technologies, innovation and digitization, while maintaining safety and well-being standards for the local communities where hotels are based. Without a comprehensive plan that consolidates its leadership, recovery and long-term sustainability, this sector is in jeopardy
The 6th Hotels and Hospitality Forum will explore how to develop the tourism ecosystem in a careful and considerate way that provides the right products and experiences to meet the demand of future visitors. The path is clear: promote cooperation and coordination of a coherent, modern and efficient Mediterranean tourism market, a profitable sector that generates not only income but also jobs and benefits the entire population, and moreover a sector prepared for climate change and aligned with the UN Development Sustainable Goals.
Sailing in the mediterranean
The Mediterranean is the second largest cruise destination in the world but it has the potential to become the first inbound harbour, due to its excellent weather conditions that allow a long cruise season, and the attractiveness of its diversity of cultures and differentiated itineraries. The global leading cruise operators and companies are aware of this promising and strategic room for growth, and they have been positioning themselves in the region in order to achieve competitive advantages in this market. The high concentration of this industry in the world is focused on a few ports, which is why it is important to expand the offer, especially 2
SAILING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
to small port cities. In this sense, the Mediterranean cruise industry is facing multiple headwinds: geopolitical tensions, an impending energy crisis, global inflation, post-pandemic disruptions and extreme weather are all impacting world trade and economic prosperity. While each destination in the Mediterranean has its priorities and strategies, it is necessary to work together with the goal to promote the region. It is necessary to bet on creating a common brand that promotes the complementarily of the offers instead of competition between destinations.
Unlocking the growth of the Mediterranean’s cruise tourism
Cruising is up and running again after COVID, but challenges remain from all quarters. These include the rising cost of living and the effect on holiday taking, war
in Europe, labour scarcity, plus climate change, to name a few. Once again the industry has to “dig-deep”. It is time to conceptualise and depict a recovery road map of key leisure sectors that is both sustainable and profitable for the destination cities.
- What is ahead for the cruise industry?What developments can we expect to see from the cruise industry in the next years?
- Technology transformation: is it worth your time and investment?
- Ways to grow connectivity and pportunities, from e-commerce to API to data. On-shore power supply at ports has accelerated, but must it move faster?
- Are governments moving quickly enough to provide the support the industry needs to meet its environmental targets?
- It is feasible to create a common brand to promote the entire Mediterranean region?
- How can we structure the entire territory and expand the offer to all Mediterranean ports to avoid overcrowding?
Key words
Green policies, market
intelligence,
infrastructures,
COVID-19, technology,
operating models,
investment
opportunities
- Speakers invited
- Session 1: a new model for hospitality
- Session 2: a green transformation of the hotel sector
- Session 3: hard talk with hospitality leader
- Unlocking the growth of the Mediterranean’s cruise tourism
Ghassan Aidi
President
Amancio López
President
Amine Moukarzel
CEO
TBC
Rafael Costa
Communication & PR Director
Fernando Pacheco
General Director
Marika Mazzi
Co-founder, BO, CFO
Alfredo Serrano
Director Nacional
COVID-19 has provided an opportunity to rethink the Mediterranean’s hotel and hospitality industry. Hotels int he region have largely retained a traditional model of operation, but the struggling industry will need to evolve to survive. This is now an opportunity to really to bring in some more innovative solutions. Some of the changes will require collaboration between stakeholders in the industry.
There is little doubt that the region’s hospitality sector is facing unprecedented pressure but there have been underlying issues that have dogged the industry for several years. The long-term decline in profitability, as a result of rising costs and declining levels of spending, represents a maturing of the regional’s hospitality sector after years of growth. This crisis presents an opportunity for the industry to come to together and rethink Mediterranean hospitality.
- Regional and global overview: what are the key trends shifts and changes?
- From war, ESG, supply chain chaos to food security: how do hospitality leaders manage these challenges?
- Hotel development picks up the pace: what Is hot at the moment?
- What can be done by the public sector to provide further tourism incentives?
- Why invest in the Mediterranean hospitality sector?
- Understanding the expectations of international investors.
- The new normal: how has COVID-19 changed the hotel operating model?
- The new normal for profitability: is it different to the old normal?
- The start-up den: companies transforming the industry
- Looking at inspiration: innovations in the hotel sector from across the world
A green transformation in the tourism and hotel sector is underway. While some changes have a relatively short return on investment and make a measurable difference to bottom line, others are more difficult to evaluate. This panel will highlight suitable strategies and effective ways to overcome such obstacles by building a strong business case for change.
- Driving and sustaining growth during uncertain times.
- The future of green infrastructure and how it will transition to the future of hospitality.
- How is the industry responding to the changing sustainability dynamics?
- There is a strong perception in the hospitality industry that says turning green is expensive with few or no revenue upsides. Is this really the case?
Eyes on Southern Europe and North
Africa:
- What is the performance and pipeline of these various markets?
- What are the investment opportunities and what are the challenges to be aware of?
Cruising is up and running again after COVID, butchallenges remain from all quarters. These include therising cost of living and the effect on holiday taking, warin Europe, labour scarcity, plus climate change, to namea few. Once again the industry has to “dig-deep”. It istime to conceptualise and depict a recovery road map ofkey leisure sectors that is both sustainable and profitablefor the destination cities.
-
- What is ahead for the cruise industry?
- What developments can we expect to see from the cruise industry in the next years?
- Technology transformation: is it worth your time and investment?
- Ways to grow connectivity and opportunities, from e-commerce to API to data. On-shore power supply at ports has accelerated, but must it move faster?
- Are governments moving quickly enough to provide the support the industry needs to meet its environmental targets?
- It is feasible to create a common brand to promote the entire Mediterranean region?
- How can we structure the entire territory and expand the offer to all Mediterranean ports to avoid overcrowding?
Co-organised in partnership with:


