Wesam Okasha, managing director of TUI Blue Hotels, joins The Upgrade: EMEA Hospitality News podcast to discuss how TUI has evolved from being solely a package and all-inclusive tourism firm to one with standalone, in-house hotel brands TUI Blue and The Mora.

Kevin Edwards, CEO of Hospitality Technology Advisory, joined The Upgrade: EMEA Hospitality News to discuss the business case for more artificial intelligence in the hotel industry.

In this episode of The Upgrade: EMEA Hospitality News, Hotel News Now talks with STR’s Alex Robinson about the continuing demand boost across the hotel industry in Europe, Middle East and Africa. However, the 2025 events calendar in Europe isn't quite as robust as 2024 with both the Olympics in Paris and the European Football Championships across in Germany.

In this episode of The Upgrade: EMEA Hospitality News, Hotel News Now chats with Studio Moren's Sharon Grob and David Harte about how design makes hotels stand out for guests and add value to owners.

Dimitris Manikis, president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said his firm Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is perfectly placed to take full benefit of the new surge in franchising seen across Europe.

The success of serviced apartments as a lodging type and burgeoning asset class has grown in recent years. But Cheval Collection executive Daniel Johansson says the segment needs more and better product offerings.

Cristina Balekjian, director of United Kingdom hospitality analytics at CoStar, joins The Upgrade to talk about how Oasis' first tour in 16 years could rival Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in terms of travel demand.

STR’s Tom Emanuel joins The Upgrade: The Hotel News Now Europe, Middle East and Africa podcast to discuss hotel performance in Paris during the recent 2024 Olympic Games and mentions a few of his favorite sporting moments from this and other Olympics.