EXCELTUR- SPAIN BEST PRACTICE

EXCELTUR, Allianza para la Excelencia Turistica (Alliance for Excellency in Tourism) is a non-profit group formed by the Chairmen of the 22 leading Spanish tourist groups from the following sectors: airlines, cruises, hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, credit cards, rent-a-car, tourist hospitals, and GDSs.

The main goals of EXCELTUR are the following:

• To raise awareness and promote better knowledge and understanding of the socio-economic importance of tourism, the job creation capacity, and its multiplier effects on the Spanish economy.
• To promote and encourage the highest degree of competitiveness for the Spanish tourism industry to be able to consolidate its leadership and continuous growth in the most sustainable manner.

Main Research Projects

Since its foundation in 2001, EXCELTUR has based its lobbying activities in different research initiatives.

MoniTUR: MoniTUR is a pioneering and unique international initiative to assess, at a regional scale, the relative competitive position of the 17 Spanish regions. MoniTUR comprises sven pillars of tourism competitiveness, gathering data in 79 indicators related to:

1. sales and marketing
2. accessibility
3. environmental factors regarding tourist destinations
4. diversification of tourism products
5. education and training
6. public governance
7. performance of tourism activity

Objectives of MoniTUR

• To provide an objective instrument for the assessment and comparison of different elements which determine the tourism competitiveness of the 17 Spanish regions based on reliable and consistent information which allows the diverse agents involved in the tourism industry to improve their decision-making;
• To establish inter-regional benchmarks which prioritise advanced, innovative and committed policies encouraging tourism competitiveness;
• To provide an instrument to assess the evolution of the different regions over time;
• To become both a national and an international reference model in monitoring regional tourism competitiveness.

UrbanTUR: UrbanTUR is a competitive monitor of the 20 most important Spanish urban destinations. UrbanTUR aims at encouraging the best urban policies to reinforce tourism competitiveness in the main Spanish cities, highlighting the best practices in public leadership and tourism governance, urban planning, public spaces qualification, city mobility, city marketing and on-line communication tools.

Business Confidence Survey: It anlyses the main drivers of the evolution of business in the Tourist Industry: sales, prices, costs, employment for the 17 Spanish regions.

Synthetic Activity Indicator of Spanish Tourism GDP: It measures the quarterly Tourist GDP growth and compares its performance vs? Spanish Economy.

Tourism Quarterly Barometer: It includes an analysis of both the official available data and indicators and the business information generated by Exceltur.

IMPACTUR: Most recognized tool to measure tourism GDP in Spanish regions, accounting the 9 regions developed in the last years representing more than 75% of Spanish Tourism GDP.

EXCELTUR'S Associated Firms

1. Air Nostrum Lam SA (Regional Airline)
2. Amadeus IT Group
3. American Express de Espana Sau
4. Avis
5. Balearia Eurolineas Maritimes SA
6. Binter Canarias (Regional Airline)
7. EDreams ODIGEO
8. Enterprise ARESA (Rent a car)
9. Europcar IB (Rent a car)
10. Globalia (Leading Spanish Tourist Group: Tour Operator, Travel Agencies, Airlines, Hotels, Rent a Car)
11. Hospiten Gestion A.I.E. (Tourist Hospital Chain)
12. HotelBeds
13. Hoteles Playa Senator SA (Resort Hotel Chain)
14. Hotusa (City Hotel Chain)
15. Iberia L.A.E. SA (Partner Airline of British Airways)
16. Iberostar Group (Resort Hotel Chain)
17. Logitravel (on-line travel agency)
18. Lopesan Hotel Group (Resort Hotel Chain in Canary Islands)
19. Melia Hotels International (Hotel Chain)
20. NH Hotels (City Hotel Chain)
21. Palladium Hotel Group (Resort Hotel Chain)
22. Riu Hotels (Hotel Chain)
23. World Duty Free Group (Airport Retail Operator)