Tourism is “stuck in the 60s” says expert

Jose Luis Zoreda told delegates at the conference that the domestic tourist industry “is stuck in the 1960s and too dependent on sun and sea. “We're still selling customised Seat 600s like we used to use decades ago,” he added.
Zoreda told captains of the country's tourist industry that it is time to begin specialising in new products and services which meet the changing demands of holiday makers. “We need to get up to date with what is happening in the market and closely study what people want to do when they go on holiday, which is nom longer just lying in the sun on a beach,” he stressed.

With regards to the British market, the latest figures show that while the Balearics should match last year, North Africa is in huge demand because of the varied activities its offers and ranger of new hotels.

Zoreda also urged the smaller, more specialised sector of the market to forget about the alleged competition from the large all inclusive resorts and concentrate on what they do best, providing high quality services and products which are valued by clients.

And, with regards to the recession, Zoreda said that simply cutting costs is not the answer.
He called on the market to become more innovative and do things better “we can't just close the doors he said. Another factor which is bothering the hotel industry is the competition from the growing number of hotel price compare sites which are significantly under cutting official hotel tariffs. The President of the Spanish Hotel Confederation, Joan Molas, said that only 20 percent of the country's hotels have the technical and on line capability of competing with the price compare sites. And this is another area in which the industry was accused of being behind the times. Like it or nor, it is going to cost money but the industry has to invest in technology and new and exciting products if it intends to come of age.