Malaga prepares to welcome rental professionals for Vitur Summit

Spain: Vitur Summit, one of the biggest events in the holiday rental industry, is being held in Malaga [at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos) on 6-7 October. In the process, it will turn the city into a European leader in the sector, which is set to generate 1.8 billion euros in Andalusia this year.

It is also an essential driving force behind the region’s tourism and economy. Currently, 50 per cent of all places of accommodation in the autonomous community are holiday homes and rural properties, creating 15,100 direct jobs, 9,500 indirect ones and 8,400 self-employment opportunities.

The seventh edition of the international event was formally launched at the Palacio de Ferias in Malaga on Wednesday, and was attended by Yolanda de Aguilar, general secretary of tourism of the regional government of Andalusia; Jonathan Gómez, general director of tourism at Malaga City Council; as well as the chair of the Andalusian Association of Professionals [AVVAPro for its Spanish acronym]; and the founder of Vitur Summit, Carlos Pérez-Lanzac.

Pérez-Lanzac said: “This is a first-class event that positions us as a benchmark in the sector on the international scene. Andalusia is one of the most important spots in the world for holiday rentals and accommodation.”

Gómez added: “It is a pleasure and an honour to hold such an important event in the city. The international attendees who are coming will end up becoming prescribers of Malaga. It is very gratifying because it improves the city’s touristic offer in the short, medium and long term.”

De Aguilar said: “Vitur Summit is the kind of event that really contributes to the city in many ways, both tangible and intangible. We are committed to the growth of this initiative on an international level. Vitur Summit improves the competitiveness of rental properties and tourist accommodation in Malaga.

“Tourist rentals are a very important part of our tourism offer. We must be aware of market trends in order to respond to the demands of tourists,” she added.

The main European leaders in this sector, as well as administrations and institutions, will come together at Vitur Summit, a professional event to address key business challenges. More than 70 high-level speakers and panellists as well as around 600 attendees are set to be present, with innovative content, business opportunities and networking.

Companies based in Australia, Israel, Iran, Canada, France, Portugal, the UK and Spain, among other countries, have already confirmed their attendance.

Moreover, the home of the future, the ‘Vitur Living Experience’, will be showcased once again, a full-scale construction of a holiday apartment that features all the latest innovations in smart-home products. This year, its space will be double the size of that in the last edition and will span across almost 200 square metres.

To coincide with the event, the European Holiday Home Association [EHHA] will host a work session in Malaga and the Spanish Federation of Holiday Rentals Associations [FEVITUR for its Spanish acronym] will bring together its board of directors.

At Vitur Summit, holiday rental managers and owners will meet with providers and associations to learn, chat and share experiences in the sector. Lasting two days and spanning across more than 1,000 square metres of exhibition and networking space, the professional event will cover various topics such as technology and sustainability, travel, accommodation and property investment, the sector’s growth, legislation, trends and training.

On Wednesday 5 October, as a prelude to the event, Vitur Forum Spain will be held in the Rector’s conference hall at the University of Malaga, bringing together the Spanish market’s most prominent investors, operators and companies to analyse the role of the sector in the national tourism model within a competitive sustainable framework.

The positive impact of holiday accommodation in Andalusia

Andalusia is home to 91,000 holiday rentals and receives around 45 per cent of these types of bookings in Spain. While 50 per cent of all places of accommodation in Andalusia are holiday homes and apartments, as well as rural properties, holiday rentals only make up 1.62 per cent of the region’s housing stock and 78 per cent of holiday properties are only used for one month per year as a second home.

Since the pandemic, the demand for this type of holiday rental has increased by between 40 and 60 per cent due to the feeling of safety and privacy it provides.

This kind of accommodation also drives forward the renovation of buildings and boosts the economy with jobs [78 per cent of holiday homeowners have renovated their properties in some way]. The installation of smart-home and energy-saving solutions is also on the rise, bringing innovation and sustainability to the housing stock.

Meanwhile, holiday accommodation boosts the city’s economy and incentivises the refurbishment of abandoned buildings all over the country. In Spain, there are around 331,000 properties of this kind, representing 30 per cent of the regulated housing market in the country [Europe is home to over 50 per cent of the whole world’s holiday rental market].

Co-organised by AVVAPro, FEVITUR and EHHA, Vitur Summit is made possible thanks to the institutional support of the regional government of Andalusia, Malaga City Council, and Costa del Sol Tourism, as well as sponsors including: Kave Home; Beyond; Salto Systems; Alfred Smart Systems; Avantio; Booking; Duve; Roomonitor; Transparent; and Airbnb.

Other participating companies include Angel Host, Baintex, Civitatis, Expedia Group, ICARE, Icnea, Holidu, Key Data Dashboard, KeyNest, LUGGit, Minut, PriceLabs, Nomads Turismo, Tedee, Touch Stay, Turbosuite, TurnoverBnB, Vikey, Your Welcome and Konta Partners.

ShortTermRentalz is a media partner for Vitur Summit and will be represented on a number of panels across the two days, such as:

Thursday 6 October

11:55 – 12:25 – Inventory growth strategy: M&A vs organic

Moderated by Piers Brown, CEO at International Hospitality Media

• Marco Celani | CEO at Italianway
• Steve Milo | CEO at Vtrips
• Henrik Kjellberg | CEO at Awaze
• Roger Mueller | CPO at Interhome

Friday 7 October

12:15 – 12:40 – Rising money and leading the industry to the next level

Moderated by Paul Stevens, editor, ShortTermRentalz

• Manuel Giner | CEO at Avantio
• Richie Khandelwal | President and co-founder at Pricelabs
• Pierre Becerril | CEO at Transparent
• Marco Celani | CEO at Italianway

Ticket sales

To attend Vitur Summit, the organisation offers different types of tickets for the general public.

• The Visitor Pass, which costs 65 euros [cheaper than in previous editions], grants access to the exhibition area, the co-working rooms and the networking spaces.
• The Business Pass, which costs 180 euros, gives visitors access to the panels, keynotes and main agenda of Vitur Summit, as well as the opportunity to participate in Vitur Forum Spain.
• To complete the experience, the Full Pass is available for a price of 295 euros, granting the visitor access to the Gala Dinner.

Click here for more information about ticket sales.