Leading unbiased B2B traveltech market HBX Group held its flagship MarketHub Europe 2025 this week in Portugal’s Algarve area.
The annual occasion drew in trade leaders to debate the important thing traits shaping the way forward for journey all through the continent.
During the occasion, firm executives and sectoral consultants coming from numerous corporations within the area shared their views on Europe’s position within the international panorama, developments in expertise and synthetic intelligence, the rise of Gen Z and the rising significance of digital funds.
HBX Group chief info officer Paula Felstead highlighted the position of expertise in knowledge processing and development prediction.
According to Felstead: “Our platform processes more than 6.2 billion searches and 80,000 requests per second. Therefore, we have invested €200 million in technology in the last 3 years, with the aim of facilitating faster, more reliable, and scalable connections between our partners, whether they are travel product providers or distributors.”
The dedication to technological innovation can be mirrored within the superior use of Artificial Intelligence in operational processes.
Discussing this, HBX Group chief operations officer Xabier Zabala anchored his presentation on the real-world functions of generative AI in journey operations.
From “Olivia,” the AI- powered customer support platform, to voice teaching methods, machine translations, and picture fraud detection, Zabala demonstrated how expertise is empowering human expertise and reworking key processes.
With regard to the digital transformation of the monetary sector when it comes to journey and tourism, chief product and new enterprise officer Daniel Nordholm declared: “The integration of smart payments and efficient treasury management are key to the sustainable growth of the sector.”
Dealing with evolution in a dynamic market
Europe continues to consolidate its place as a key area for international tourism development.
Destinations corresponding to Portugal, Greece, and Croatia are main the surge in worldwide arrivals following the pandemic, with the Algarve serving for example of sustainable improvement and a complete journey expertise.
HBX Group deputy chief government Carlos Muñoz remarked: “The Algarve welcomed 5.2 million visitors in 2024, double the number ten years ago, and represents a model for a diversified, responsible destination connected to the new demands of travellers.”
He additional highlighted that the worldwide journey trade is valued at $11 trillion and is rising twice as quick as the worldwide economic system.
Indeed, the B2B journey market is projected to achieve $94 billion by 2032, reinforcing the significance of strategic alliances.
At the identical time, the rise of experiential tourism and the arrival of latest profiles corresponding to digital nomads are redefining the choices all through the area, with a rising concentrate on sustainability, authenticity, and expertise.
Younger individuals are main the way in which
For his half, HBX’s chief technique and transformation officer Javier Cabrerizo targeted on the influence of Gen Z on the journey trade.
Cabrerizo defined that, for them, journey is not only a type of leisure, however a necessary a part of their id, a technique to specific themselves, join, and share.
He additionally emphasised that Gen Z travellers search genuine, personalised, and sustainable experiences.
The youthful technology represents 30 p.c of the worldwide inhabitants and 40 p.c of all shoppers, and their method of travelling is redefining the foundations of the sport: they search comfort, flexibility, and a seamless digital expertise from begin to end.
They are additionally heavy customers of social media content material, which turns into their main supply of inspiration and decision-making when planning.
Gen Z travellers additionally worth peace of thoughts: greater than 70 p.c endure from frequent nervousness, which is why they prioritise journeys with assist, insurance coverage, and frictionless logistics.
A brand new section as a listed firm
The latest debut of HBX Group as a listed firm within the Spanish Stock Market was additionally a part of the dialog.
Isabel Green, Director of Investor Relations, and Carla Stent, unbiased board member of the Group, highlighted the position of governance and transparency as elementary pillars following the IPO.
Stent declared: “This milestone positions us to attract new investments and continue promoting our B2B model with a unique value proposition.”
MarketHub Europe consolidates its place as a number one occasion for thought management, trade collaboration, and development evaluation, reaffirming HBX Group’s dedication to collaborative development, accountable expertise, and the way forward for international tourism.
