Opinion Articles

Eurovision 2025 in Basel: Boosting Music Tourism and Hospitality

For some, the Eurovision Song Contest is just another TV show on a Saturday night, but for many, it is THE event of the year! To countless viewers, it’s the Olympics of music - a moment to share with friends and family, and to root for your favorite entry. For some lucky die-hard fans, it’s even time to travel to Basel, as the live broadcast is staged in front of a large, enthusiastic audience. As such, the Eurovision Song Contest represents a unique opportunity for the city's hospitality sector to showcase its offerings on a global stage. Beyond the spectacle, Eurovision is a prime example of – a growing travel trend where fans journey to experience live music events. Let’s review how such a cultural event can drive “event tourism” to Basel and impact the city's international attractiveness.

By Lionel Saul, Research Assistant & Visiting Lecturer, EHL

Basel, Switzerland

FHT Paris 2025: Streamlined Behind the Scenes, Exceptional Up Front

The French hospitality industry is at a crossroads. Between stricter regulations, rising operational costs, and increasing guest demands, hotels across France are under pressure to evolve. At FHT Paris 2025, industry leaders gathered to explore how Digital Transformation is transforming hospitality operations, moving beyond buzzwords and into real-world impact.

By Amber Ward, Marketing Assistant, Shiji

France

Food and Beverage for MICE Done Right at Villa Pamphili Roma

Truly, there’s no place like Rome. The Eternal City is forever a delight to visit for work or for pleasure. Over the past five years, the Italian capital has gone through a hospitality renaissance, with incredible hotels opening (or reopening) throughout its ancient center. This has forced every market participant to step up their game.

By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky

Rome, Italy

The Mille Club: Two Rocco Forte Hotels in One Incredible Trip to Italia

Known to many as the Eternal City, Rome has an uninterrupted history spanning two and a half thousand years. Apart from incredible historical sites, Rome has some of the world’s finest luxury hotels, often carved out of grand palazzos that once served members of the royal court of the Papal elite, and all of them adorned with opulent finishings and fine art.

By Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky

Italy

London Market Pulse 2024 – Investor Confidence Renewed

Snapshot of the London hotel market in 2024 with an exploration of tourism demand, hotel performance, hotel supply, the investment market and the market outlook.

By Cassandre Pene and Luisa Russell

London, United Kingdom

Diversity in grape varieties in the Swiss vineyard – A boon or a bane?

The following article presents the highlights of a plenary session, moderated by EHL’s Prof. Steffen Raub, held on July 3, 2024 during the American Association of Wine Economists’ summer conference in Lausanne, Switzerland. EHL Hospitality Business School played host to the world’s leading wine economists and showcased the spectacular wine-producing regions, namely the Lavaux and the Valais.

By Philippe Masset and Steffen Raub

Switzerland

200 Years of Sitting Pretty in Dublin: A Short Walk Through History and Hospitality at The Shelbourne Hotel

Since 1824, The Shelbourne has been a warm and inviting jewel of hospitality and the setting for some of the most dramatic cultural and political moments in Irish history. Beloved by guests and locals as “Ireland’s living room,” The Shelbourne has always reflected the spirit of the city around it, playing a significant role in the literary, social, political, culinary and artistic traditions of Irish society.

By JP Kavanagh, General Manager, The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection, Marriott

Dublin, Ireland

Ireland Market Beat H1 2024

Investment Trends

For H1 2024 a total of €655M was transacted, a near fourfold increase on the approximately €173M traded in H1 2023 – this pushed transaction volumes over the past year to an all-time high of almost €790M. Activity was supported by continued good operational performance across the sector and a couple of large deals including the sales of the Shelbourne Hotel and a majority stake in the Dean Hotel Group.

Prime Yields

Prime yields have moved modestly higher over the past twelve months but looking forward we expect them to stabilise, boosted by gradually looser ECB monetary policy with the first steps in this journey occurring in June with a 25 basis point interest rate cut. With growing appetite among investors and liquidity in the debt markets, we expect to see a gradual yield sharpening for prime assets as we progress into 2025.

Market Performance

Despite ongoing supply growth, the occupancy and ADR in Irish hotels remained healthy in H1 2024, with only minor softening relative to H1 2023. While RevPAR in Ireland declined by 1.2% to €125 in H1 2024, it was the 3rd-highest level in Europe. In Dublin, the occupancy reached 80% in H1 2024, the second highest in Europe, albeit a minor decline from 2023. This, combined with a 4% drop in ADR, resulted in a 5% RevPAR decrease, although 23% above pre-Covid level in 2019.

Supply Outlook

510 new rooms were delivered in Dublin in H1 while Premier Inn also opened their first hotel in Cork in January. We estimate there are currently in excess of 1,700 hotel rooms under construction in Dublin (around 6% of Dublin’s room stock) while two hotels in Cork are also due to open later this year. The new supply is welcome to satisfy growing demand, particularly in the Dublin market, albeit the increased competitiveness might constrain occupancy and ADR growth.

Demand Outlook

Ireland’s economic outlook continues to support the hotel sector. Employment hit another all-time high of 2.71 million while wages (up 4.7% year on year in Q1) are now growing in real terms as inflation (2.2% in June 2024) eases. Tourist trends also continue to be strong. Overnight trips by foreign visitors (over rolling 12-month periods) gradually rose in the first half of the year as has the average spend.

By Tom McCabe and David Walls

Ireland

Madrid Market Pulse 2024 – Smashing the Rate Ceiling

As the capital of Spain, Madrid holds a prominent position as a cultural, economic and political hub in Europe. Its rich history, vibrant arts scene, world-renowned culinary offerings as well as its many corporate head offices and financial institutions attract a diverse range of visitors, including both leisure travellers and business professionals. Additionally, Madrid's strategic location within Spain and its well-connected transportation infrastructure, including its international airport and high-speed rail services, facilitate easy access for both domestic and international travellers. The city's tourism sector, which was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, experienced a gradual recovery from the latter half of 2021, buoyed by successful vaccination campaigns and the easing of travel restrictions both domestically and internationally.

By Alexandra Dumoulin and Cassandre Pene

Madrid, Spain