Melia Phuket Mai Khao — Photo by Melia
  • The main business indicator, RevPAR (Average Revenue per Available Room), was 43% up on same period of the previous year, with good evolution of the average rate and a rising occupancy rate month after month, which maintains the trend and expects to reach 2019 levels in May
  • A solid demand allowed for a return to normal pre-pandemic operating levels, with on­the­books reservations (for the rest of the year) +36% up on the same dates of 2019 in monetary terms
  • Our proprietary sales channel melia.com and the MeliaRewards programme, with more than 15 million members, accounted for 45% of all centralised sales
— Source: Melia— Source: Melia
— Source: Melia
The first quarter of the year confirms a recovery of tourism worldwide, not only in the resort and urban leisure segments, but also in groups and business (MICE segment). The behaviour of demand still shows the "revenge" or "champagne bottle" effect that was triggered by the lifting of pandemic-related restrictions, while a more structured demand behaviour seems to be consolidating, reflecting the growing priority assigned to travelling in the life and consumption habits of the main markets, even in spite of inflationary pressures, interest rate hikes, turmoil in sectors such as energy, and the risk of slowdown in certain markets. This reaction is also noticeable in those countries that withdrew sanitary restrictions later, such as China, Japan or Australia, where the take-off of demand for travel abroad is strongly tangible from the 2nd quarter of 2023, especially to the destinations in Southeast Asia.

At the same time, we can see how a number of trends that already emerged during 2022 are now consolidating and shaping this new phase, which attests to the soundness of the strategy deployed by our Company in terms of digitalisation, brands and experiences, sustainability, and a focus on people and talent; trends such as a preference for premium and luxury hotels and rooms, a shift towards "purposeful" experiences, last-minute bookings—although with a growing share of advance bookings—and a healthy return to the nationality "mix" among feeder markets in our main destinations.

This strategic strength together with a solid demand have enabled us to speed up the return to normal operating levels practically one year ahead of forecasts, even though the inflationary context continues to make it difficult to pass on such progress to margins and results in the same proportion, which is why we are still focusing on promoting not only revenue growth, but also cost control and the optimisation of our operating margins.

With a view to the immediate future, and always with the necessary degree of caution, we foresee a positive summer season both in price evolution and occupancy levels, which could finally surpass those recorded in 2019, while also envisaging ample room for improvement in prices as well as in volume, which comes to reinforce our cautiously optimistic outlook for the year. Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Meliá Hotels International

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About Melia Hotels International

Founded in 1956 in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Meliá Hotels International has more than 400 hotels open or in the process of opening in more than 40 countries, and a portfolio of nine brands: Gran Meliá Hotels & Resorts, ME by Meliá, The Meliá Collection, Paradisus by Meliá, Meliá Hotels & Resorts, ZEL, INNSiDE by Meliá, Sol by Meliá and Affiliated by Meliá. The Company is one of the world's leading hotel chains in the leisure segment and its experience in this area has allowed it to consolidate itself in the growing market of urban hotels inspired by leisure. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led it to be recognised as the most sustainable European hotel company according to S&P Global's Sustainability Yearbook 2024, as well as being a "Top Employer 2024" brand in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Italy, Germany, France and Vietnam. Meliá Hotels International is also part of the IBEX 35. For more information, please visit www.meliahotelsinternational.com

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