Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit reviews the keys to the sector in the last decade and its future prospects

 

“Overbooking is one of the most important events of the year for the destination and the brand of Gran Canaria, because it has allowed us to position ourselves as a meeting point and a national reference for both media, marketing and advertising industry related directly or indirectly to the tourism sector,” said Carlos Álamo, Tourism Minister of Gran Canaria during the presentation of the Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit. “It will also allow us to know the keys and new trends so that all the virtues of Gran Canaria reach our clients in the best possible way,” he added. 

 

The next edition of Overbooking, number 7 in 10 years, presented its keys at a press conference this morning at the Gran Canaria Tourism headquarters. The following participated: Carlos Álamo; Vanessa Morales, Director of Customer Services at 22GRADOS, organizer of the event; and Antonio Méndez Musa, Director of Claims at AON, sponsoring entity. In it, he highlighted the importance of the element of communication and marketing in order to consolidate the reactivation of the sector. 

 

“Everything indicates that we are going to close the year very close to the 2019 tourist arrival data, with a fundamental increase in the Island's income of around 30%. But, from what we see at fairs like the World Travel Market in London, we must make a greater effort, both from the private and public sectors, so that our attractions reach all our potential clients and because clients demand it," explained the counselor who gave as an example the new tourist profile who requests guarantees of sustainability and to know the ecological impact of their stay, “but at the same time it is difficult for them to access this information despite the many advances that have been made on the island, mainly for our hotels and accommodation establishments.” 

 

 

“We are in a moment of great competitiveness and the survival in the market of our destination and our companies depends, to a large extent, on their ability to continue offering tourists experiences, products and services that are sufficiently attractive and in line with their tastes.” and evolving demands. Therefore, the important role of analysis in the field of tourism is undeniable, as a means to improve professional practices and thus make decisions that lead us to success in the management of destinations and companies,” concluded Carlos Álamo.

 

Vanessa Morales, for her part, reported that the Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit is celebrating its next edition, which will take place on December 20 at the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, around the motto "10 years of Tourist Communication in Gran Canaria" and will offer a tour of the evolution of the sector over the last decade. In addition, she pointed out that among the speakers, the figure of Andy Stalman stands out, as the headliner of this edition. Stalman is considered one of the world's leading brand experts. His talent, charisma and influence in the world of brands have led him to be recognized internationally as “Mr. Branding”. With more than 25 years of experience, he has developed projects on five continents. Stalman participated in OVB in the first edition, in 2012, and addressed the concept of branding as a path to innovation. In this next edition he will articulate his presentation around the importance of customer experience and loyalty programs. 

 

In addition to Andy Stalman, co-founder and CEO of TOTEM Branding, references from the sector such as Pablo Llinares, manager of Tourism of Gran Canaria, will also take the Overbooking stage; Gonzalo Pastor, from Webedia; Víctor Oliver, Melià Hotels; Phil González, from Canal Cocina; Eduardo G. De La Mata head of Marketing and Digital Strategy at Lopesan Hotel Group; Fabián González, from FORWARD_Travel, Eladio Bombín, CEO of 22GRADOS; José A. Martínez, Making Science; Abraham Martín, Civitatis; Yvonne Gala, Advanced Analytics Iberia Express; Marian Muro, from Barcelona Tourism; and Vicente Ros, from Initiative Spain.

 

“An analysis will be carried out on how marketing and communication manage to impact the tourism business, who the new tourists are and what they are like, such as 'Tourist Z', and how the contents have become key for these new profiles. . Also, among other topics, the day will delve into the fascinating change of era and the technological future that is developing under the keys of the digitalization of the sector," the representative of 22GRADOS advanced regarding a program divided into 7 blocks: two of them intended for individual presentations and the other five structured in a talk/debate format that will allow much more fluidity when sharing the knowledge, experience and anecdotes of the speakers.

 

Morales indicated that the response from the public has been “especially satisfactory this year” and that they have decided to move the event from the initial room to one with greater capacity since the requests for participation have doubled expectations. Furthermore, he pointed out that with this change there are still places for those furthest behind. 

 

Antonio Méndez, director of AON, explained that the collaboration of private entities and the administration “makes the image of Gran Canaria much more visual and known in the rest of the world. We offer our advisory services to the sector and we consider that it is essential to adapt to the interests of the new client due to the needs after the pandemic, adapt to the keys of the insurance market, manage risks, adapt to their needs and work on the reputation of our companies.”

 

Overbooking has the collaboration of 22GRADOS in the organizing aspect, and the sponsoring support of entities such as AON, Coca Cola, Iberia Express and Hospital Universitario San Roque.