The executive chairman of Iberostar, Miguel Fluxá, says he is confident that 2014 will be another successful year for the hotel chain despite continuing economic uncertainty.
Speaking at the opening of Iberostar Playa Mita in Nayarit, Mexico – the company’s first Pacific coast hotel – Fluxá said the firm was looking to capitalise on a solid 2013 and had bold expansion plans.
“This has been a very good year for us,” he said. “We improved dramatically in the US and Canada, while in Europe, with the problems in Egypt, we benefited particularly in the Canary Islands where bookings have been very strong.
“Travel has shown it is resilient even when the economy isn’t doing well – people still want to travel.
“For 2014 we’re expecting growth of around 13%, and possibly more because the US economy is looking better and other markets are also functioning well. We believe it will be a good year.”
Fluxá singled out online sales as a particular growth area for Iberostar, saying that customers were increasingly more confident booking their hotel stay on the web.
“People trust booking online a lot more now,” he said. “Online sales currently account for around 25-30% of our bookings, but in the next two to three years we expect that to hit 50%.
“60% of those online sales are through agents – they are very important to us.”
Fluxá’s optimism was also reflected in the news that plans are already in place to at some point add a second hotel on land adjacent to Playa Mita, which opened its doors on December 1.
Travellers from the UK must currently reach the the Nayarit region via Mexico City or Dallas Fort Worth, but the area’s airport at Puerta Vallerta is due to receive direct Thomson flights from London and Manchester from April 2014.
Fluxá also revealed that the brand has its sights set on the city hotel market, having previously focused exclusively on resort hotels.
“We are certainly looking to expand and would like to open up in more city locations such as Mexico City and even London and Paris”, he said.