Have you heard of Dry January? How about Sober October or No Alcohol November? As the names suggest, these are months when people commit to giving up alcohol for a variety of reasons–from health to a change in interests and activities. Some people, however, are extending sobriety beyond these trendy months into a lifestyle. These days, it’s hard to walk into a store or browse your social media feed without seeing a non-alcoholic cocktail, beer, or wine. Last year, the volume of these products grew around 27 percent in the United States. Also in 2021, alcohol delivery app Drizly had a 166 percent increase in nonalcoholic products on their platform compared to 2019. This makes sense, considering sales for these beverages shot up 600 percent last year. With increased demand, as well as big brands like Heineken developing their own alcohol alternatives, it’s natural for entrepreneurs to hop on this beverage bandwagon in innovative ways. For example, nonalcoholic stores are popping up all across the United States. Earlier this year, Atlanta bottle shop Elemental Spirits Co. and nonalcoholic distributor Elemental Spirits Co. announced they were opening the Zero Co.–the Georgia capital’s first shop devoted to sober spirits. Elemental Spirits Co. founders were inspired to open the Zero Co. after experiencing the

If you’re a bourbon fan, you have undoubtedly heard of Pappy Van Winkle. I previously mentioned it in another blog as an example of the cult-like magnetism of certain high-end spirits. However, the story of this iconic brand deserves its own telling. Beginning in 1893, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle was a salesman for W. L. Weller, and would eventually become president of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. At that time, he was best known for being the first person to make and sell a mass-market fine whiskey that utilized wheat as its secondary grain rather than rye–a move that forever changed the face and taste of Kentucky whiskey. One of his labels, that was introduced just before prohibition, was Old Rip Van Winkle. His son, Julian Jr., would eventually take over. But, unfortunately, the American whiskey craze was dying down. And Junior sold off many of Stitzel-Weller’s barrels and brands–though the family retained Old Rip Van Winkle. When Julian III took over, he began by selling bourbons aged by his father and grandfather. Eventually, he began distilling his own–and later teamed up with Buffalo Trace distillery–creating the Pappy Van Winkle we all know today. It was around then that Pappy Van Winkle began to take off. Specifically, in 1996 after the Beverage Testing

While many industries took major hits due to the pandemic, the cruise industry might have been one of the most publicized sectors in crisis. At the start of the pandemic, it wasn’t unusual to find headlines about outbreaks on cruises, passengers being stranded, or companies suspending travel. The industry also suffered a financial blow. In the United States alone, cruise line companies lost $63 billion between 2020 and 2021. Like much of the world, the cruise industry struggled to stay afloat. Not only were cruises affected by many countries’ travels restrictions, the industry also struggled in the stock market. For instance, shares for popular cruise line Carnival sank more than 30% in March 2020. Once vaccines became widely available, cruise companies put protocols in place to help ensure passenger safety. Now, however, as the world attempts to return to some sense of normalcy, the cruise industry is poised to do the same. Recently, major players like Royal Caribbean International and Princess Cruises have updated their pandemic protocols, making specific changes to vaccine and testing requirements. Passengers on Royal Caribbean cruises, for example, can now set sail whether they are vaccinated or not as long as they adhere to certain testing guidelines. Carnival Cruise Line also updated their policies

The real estate sector has given much to talk about in recent years, becoming one of the most striking sectors for investors, thanks to the characteristics that make it a very tempting opportunity. From properties that serve as student accommodation to holiday homes have significantly transformed the real estate sector. Among the key factors that have made this sector increasingly rich are: Investors 2.0 who have decided to diversify their investments, moving away from the traditional sector such as the "build to rent" BTR. The high demand of consumers together with increasingly sophisticated requirements. Hospitality Insights highlights that the population today is growing without "sufficient" housing, a situation that may be influencing the high price of homes in the current market. As philanthropist Andrew Carnegie said, "90% of millionaires made their wealth when they started investing in the real estate world". Although it is true, after the pandemic caused by Covid-19, this sector has grown markedly in developed countries, arousing interest in investors. Finally, if you are interested in starting to invest in the real estate sector, this is your moment. Many properties and buildings were paralyzed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the current housing market is still limited, however, consumer demand

The conversation around the food and beverage industry is constantly growing. In the first quarter of 2022, there has been a 19% increase in online conversations about dining out, restaurants, bars, food and drink compared to the previous period. Foodies are keen to explore new and not-so-new restaurants as the economy recovers. Although innovation represents a key element for the future of the sector and is being so in the present, the restaurant market is experiencing a moment of transformation and digitization, which requires professional investment that allows the creation of solid and high-quality companies. potential. I consider that the NÜA Smart Restaurant is a great example, and it is the first smart restaurant in Europe in Spain, decorated with futuristic lights, LED screens and interactive touch screen tables, applying technology as an ally with a different concept and innovation. Also, the future is coming to the restaurant market, the digital transformation has changed the actions of the restaurant market. The sector has developed the ability to reinvent itself, using technological tools in its digital actions, in offering personalization and differential experience to customers, sales opportunities and streamlining the purchase process, helping businesses to be more efficient, attractive, profitable and sustainable. The path to

When talking about ESG investments, they refer to those that consider environmental, social and governance factors, in conjunction with financial factors, in the decision-making process to invest. Currently, as investors we are faced with new risk factors that lead us to rethink investment approaches. For example, there are the challenges of global sustainability in all its variations, as well as demographic changes and regulatory pressures. In this way, ESG investments arise − and grow annually −, which are based on three lines of action: thematic investments or those that integrate ESG criteria in their portfolios; investments aligned with the values ​​and moral beliefs of an organization or individual; impact investments that seek to combine positive social or environmental benefits with a financial return. Therefore, if you are thinking of making investments with an ESG focus, you must answer questions such as: how much does the company in question contribute to the environmental impact? What actions does it take − or fail to take − to reduce carbon dioxide emissions? How do you improve social impact? And so we could continue with endless questions, all of them linked to the adoption of ESG criteria when investing. Of course, as in everything that is a

Undoubtedly, beacons are a technology created to improve interactions with customers, these are small technological devices that came to revolutionize the retail market. Likewise, it is a technology that can be very beneficial for the hotel sector. However, despite the fact that beacons have been on the market for around 8 years, they are not as widely used by the hotel sector. Today I want to share with you how this can be a marketing strategy, improving the user experience. It should be noted that the way in which beacons work is through bluetooth signals emitted to devices approximately 50 meters away in a defined location. In the case of hotels, this can be a useful and profitable tool to improve the consumer experience, such as reducing time and at the same time automating the check-in process when the traveler arrives at their destination, where the guest from If you arrive at said facility by means of a notification, you can confirm your reservation and fulfill other requirements. In the same way, through geographic spaces around the hotel facility, users can learn about points of interest, either places to visit, such as relevant information on the restaurants that they can enjoy both