The UK will overtake Germany to become Iberostar’s biggest European market this year.
The hotel group’s Chief Commercial Officer Finn Ackermann said bookings from the UK are up 27% year-on-year, with UK bookings to Mallorca up around 30%.
He said: “The UK is our strongest performing market this year. We are growing our market share.
“I think that has a lot to do with the positioning of our brand within the market and the great work our sales colleagues are doing and our business development team, together with travel agents.
“We know exactly the added value of the trade, and we know that many times bookings made by travel agents have a higher average ticket.”
An increase in flight capacity to and from the UK to destinations where Iberostar has properties is another reason for the growth in bookings, he said.
Finn was speaking in Mallorca ahead of the opening party for Iberostar Selection Es Trenc, its 16th property on the island, in Colonia de Sant Jordi.
The revamped hotel has 145 rooms and suites across nine of its 11 floors, all with a sea view. Other facilities include a buffet-style restaurant, an a la carte restaurant, a rooftop bar, a gym, a spa and an outdoor pool.
Some UK travel agents have already visited the hotel, and Iberostar is also running webinars, quizzes and competitions to further raise awareness.
“If you’re an agent and if you’re out there, you’re going to learn about the property for sure,” Finn said.
While there have been anti-tourist protests in Mallorca and other Spanish regions, Iberostar CEO Phil McAveety said they are ‘not impacting the tourism experience’ on the island.
“Given the numbers coming out of the UK, it is not having an impact on our business, but I think we would be naïve not to be concerned if this continues for a period of time,” he said.
He said Iberostar has been ‘investing significantly in its European hotels in the last five to seven years’, adding: “We are going to continue to upgrade hotels in the Americas. We’re planning to accelerate our investment there.”
At the end of December 2024, Iberostar opened its first new Joia property in Aruba, and a second property is in the pipeline. Significant investments will also be made in Heritage Grand products in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
Phil said: “We are currently developing completely new build products in Cancun, a second in Aruba, and we’ve got two or three others still to be confirmed in Mexico.”
A further property is also set to open in Tunisia, as well as other destinations that neither Finn or Phil were able to disclose.
Pictured, from left: Finn Ackermann, hotel owner Maribel Fluxà and Phil McAveety
