In 2024, Ifema Madrid will dominate the international trade fair calendar in Spain, hosting 39 fairs, with an additional six organized by other operators. Madrid will lead with 44% market share, a 95% increase from the previous year, followed by Barcelona, Valencia, and others. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business of Spain, through the Secretary of State for Commerce, has published this calendar. The first international fair organized by Ifema Madrid will be Promogift, followed by Fitur and others returning from previous years.

In Argentina, people are increasingly resorting to bartering to afford food amidst a severe economic crisis. The situation has worsened since President Javier Milei took office last December, leading to greater precarity among households.

HotéisRio released the first preview of the hotel occupancy survey for the 2024 Carnival holiday, showing an average occupancy rate of 67.28% for Rio de Janeiro's hotel network. The occupancy is expected to rise as the national market reacts, with Alfredo Lopes, president of HotéisRio, predicting over 90% occupancy during Carnival.

TripAdvisor has announced the winners of the Travellers’ Choice 2024 award, with categories for destinations. The Asian continent emerged as the big winner in the 'Destinations on the Rise' category, with 12 out of the 25 listed destinations. Tokyo and Seoul took the top two spots, while other Asian destinations on the list include cities in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Latin America is the second 'rising' continent with eight destinations, but no Brazilian cities are on the list.

The National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) concluded nine international agreements at the 15th Edition of the Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN) 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. These agreements expand opportunities for Brazilian airlines to access the international market and for foreign companies to operate flights to Brazil. Six Air Service Agreements (ASAs) were initialed, including two new ones with Antigua and Barbuda and Uganda. The agreements with Austria, Italy, and Iceland will replace previous ones, and the Amendment Protocol with Saudi Arabia updates an existing agreement. The agreements allow for increased international air transport capacity, modernized rules, and compliance with Brazilian law, which permits up to 100% foreign ownership of Brazilian airlines since 2019. Additional agreements with the Czech Republic and Oman are moving towards ratification.

Gol Linhas Aéreas reported preliminary traffic numbers for December 2023, showing an increase in passengers to 30.9 million, a 12.1% rise from 2022, with 222,351 takeoffs, marking a 10.1% increase. The airline's occupancy rate for the year was 82%, up by 2 percentage points, with a total offer (ASK) increase of 5.5%. Internationally, Gol's offer (ASK) rose by 39%, and demand (RPK) by 37.1%, though occupancy decreased slightly by 1.1 percentage points to 79.7%. Domestically, the offer (ASK) grew by 2.7%, demand (RPK) by 5.8%, and occupancy rate increased by 2.3 percentage points to 82.3%.

In 2023, the Pancorp section of the PANROTAS Portal covered a variety of topics that resonated with its audience, including NDC, airfares, challenges, trends, tips, Lacte 18, and the recovery of corporate travel. The most accessed news of the year was compiled into the PANROTAS special magazine's Retrospective edition, which featured rankings of the top 15 most-read subjects, categorized by themes. Key highlights included practical applications of NDC for airlines, travel managers, and TMCs, the best in corporate travel such as Copastur and Costa Brava, and insights from McKinsey and Roche. The article also mentioned the growth of corporate travel, dynamic and no-show fare management, and corporate event trends.

São Paulo's tourism sector is set to close 2023 with a record financial movement of R$ 289.6 billion, increasing its contribution to the state's GDP to 9.3%. This growth is attributed to the development of inland destinations, infrastructure investments, new tourist attractions, and a boost to regional gastronomy and nature-related activities. The sector's recovery from the pandemic is marked by a steady increase in economic participation and job creation, with 58.8 thousand new direct jobs expected by the end of 2023. The Secretary of Tourism and Travel of SP, Roberto de Lucena, notes the delivery of 110 projects and the promotion of strategic segments such as nautical, rural, and railway tourism, with expectations for further expansion.

Argentinian President Javier Milei has proposed the privatization of Aerolíneas Argentinas as part of an economic measures package outlined in a Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU). The decree includes steps to facilitate the privatization of state-owned enterprises, including the repeal of regulations that prevent privatization and the transformation of state companies into joint-stock companies for subsequent privatization. The DNU also calls for a comprehensive reorganization of Argentina's commercial aviation legislation to create a competitive market environment. Some aspects of the decree will require modification or repeal by the Argentinian Congress.

Lusanova successfully chartered over a thousand Brazilian passengers to Lisbon for New Year's Eve celebrations, with flights from Fortaleza, Natal, Recife, Maceió, and Salvador operated by Hifly and SATA. The company's commercial director, Sergio Vianna, announced plans to expand charter operations for New Year's Eve 2025, promising more destination options, comprehensive offers, and competitive prices, with details to be revealed in the first quarter of 2024.

HotelDO, in partnership with Walt Disney World, trained 150 travel agents from São Paulo through the Disney Day event. The training highlighted the attractions of the Disney complex in Orlando, USA, and covered products, services, news, leisure activities, ticket types, accommodation options, and sales tips. The events took place in Alphaville, Campinas, São Bernardo do Campo, and São Paulo from December 12 to 15. Marcio Nogueira, Luiz Araujo, Thais Ramos, and Beto Lucchese led the training sessions.

Hotel Senac Barreira Roxa in Natal has been awarded the Good Travel Seal gold certification for Sustainable Management of Tourism Enterprises by the Dutch foundation Green Destinations. The hotel achieved 96% compliance with the criteria set by Green Destinations, which includes a rigorous evaluation of approximately 57 items across 12 themes, aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards. Marcelo Queiroz, president of Sistema Fecomércio RN, highlighted the institution's pioneering role in developing programs and actions aimed at promoting tourism competitiveness in Rio Grande do Norte, citing partnerships and projects that have positioned the state as a sustainable destination.

The Brazilian Association of Airline Companies (Abear) discussed the democratization of air transport in Brazil and the current scenario of airfare pricing, which follows a global trend. During a meeting with the Ministry of Ports and Airports in Brasília, airlines announced their 2024 plans to reduce fares. Abear emphasized the need for structural and long-term actions for cost reduction and growth in the sector. They highlighted that in 2023, airfares in Brazil were 7.9% lower than the same period in 2022, with a significant percentage of tickets sold below R$ 500 and R$ 1,000. Abear also noted that while the average airfare in the United States in Q2 2023 was 10% higher than in 2019, Brazil did not see an increase. The association continues to advocate for a comprehensive agenda to address costs and increase competitiveness in Brazil's aviation sector.

On its 15th anniversary, Azul Linhas Aéreas announced the purchase of seven Airbus330neo widebody aircraft to renew and expand its international fleet from 2026, and expects to receive 19 aircraft in 2024, mostly Embraer E2 models, for domestic routes. CEO John Rodgerson highlighted the strong demand in Brazil and the company's confidence in the upcoming deliveries. CFO Alex Malfitani emphasized the profitability and success of international routes, such as Paris, which exceeded expectations. The new aircraft will replace part of the current fleet, including the A350s, aiming for 14 or 15 planes for international flights upon completion of the deliveries.

The PANROTAS Portal's Operators section in the Market editorial during 2023 featured various significant topics, including the acquisition of Brazilian companies Orinter and Interep by American Mondee, the launch of a new operator by Gol Linhas Aéreas, and a luxury course by Radix. The annual PANROTAS special Retrospective magazine highlighted the top 15 most-read topics, categorized by industry. Key events included the sales of Orinter and Interep to Mondee for substantial amounts, the introduction of Smiles Viagens by Gol, and the collaboration of Latitudes, Matueté, Primetour, and Teresa Perez to launch a course. CVC Corp's market movements, such as the appointment of Carlos Wollenweber as CFO and the company's fundraising success, were also notable.

Latam Airlines has reached a record 58% market share of domestic passenger demand at São Paulo's Guarulhos Airport, its main hub in Brazil, according to ANAC data for January to November 2023. The airline operates over 170 daily flights from Guarulhos to 46 Brazilian and 90 international airports. In 2023, Latam implemented Artificial Intelligence to enhance airport services and opened at least four new domestic and international routes, including Guarulhos to Passo Fundo, Sinop, Los Angeles, and Johannesburg. Aline Mafra, Latam Brasil's Sales and Marketing Director, emphasized the airline's consistent and sustainable growth at Guarulhos since 2017.

Eva María Duarte, also known as Evita, is remembered as the most influential Argentine woman of the 20th century, who championed women's political participation and rights of the underprivileged. Born in Los Toldos on May 7, 1919, her legacy includes the sanctioning of women's suffrage and the creation of the Partido Peronista Femenino. Despite her antifeminist stance, she inadvertently opened doors for women in politics. Her speeches and work resonated with workers, children, and housewives, and her memory is cherished through personal anecdotes and the continued relevance of her political and social role.