IV Be Inspiring Summit: a laboratory of ideas to design the future of tourism

A meeting to co-create the future of tourism through dialogue

April 30, 2026

The IV Be Inspiring Summit once again established itself as a meeting point for the ideas that are redefining the future of tourism. Organized by ILUNION Hotels, the event brought together nearly 1,000 professionals with a clear objective: to generate conversation regarding the future of the industry. More than a conventional meeting, the event was designed as a shared laboratory of thought, where different voices provide complementary perspectives.

In the words of José Ángel Preciados, CEO of ILUNION Hotels, this approach responds to a structural need within the sector: “Shared knowledge and honest dialogue between people with different perspectives are the best instruments to build a tourism that is more solid, fairer, and prepared for the future.” Moving away from triumphalist discourse, the meeting championed critical reflection as a starting point.

Throughout the forums, participants addressed current challenges from multiple angles, demonstrating that tourism is facing a process of transversal transformation affecting its economic model as well as its social and environmental impact.

Open innovation: collaborating to transform

The first block positioned innovation as a necessarily shared process. Cristian Ull, CEO of Area101, broke with traditional views by stating that to innovate is not solely to invent, but to adapt technology, processes, and people to real needs.

In the panel moderated by Carlos Bello, Director of Innovation, Technology, and Transformation at ILUNION Hotels, participants included María Velasco, professor at IESE Business School; Martín Beitia, Head of Innovation at Iberia; and Marisol Menéndez, CEO of Bilakatu and expert in open innovation and ecosystems. The dialogue highlighted that the most effective innovation emerges in open environments, where companies, startups, and institutions collaborate and co-create solutions. More than a specific initiative, innovation was understood as an organizational culture based on connection.

Ethics and humanism: the shared purpose

The second session delved into the human dimension of tourism. Ana María López de San Román, Director of Ethics, Sustainability, and Alliances at ILUNION, emphasized that companies do not only generate results, but also build values and shape the people who are part of them.

The conversation, moderated by Juan José Cestero, Director of People at ILUNION Hotels, featured Carlos Olave, Global HR & Advisory Board Member; Rita Jácome, Director of the Institute for Ethics in Communication and Organizations (IECO); and Miguel Ángel Ariño, professor at IESE Business School. Everyone agreed on the need for leadership based on example and consistency.

Rita Jácome contributed a key idea by introducing the concept of “technological humanism,” where innovation is placed at the service of people. “Ethics has ceased to be considered a theoretical framework and has become a daily practice built collectively within organizations,” she stated.

Artificial Intelligence: technology that is understood and shared

The third block addressed Artificial Intelligence from a cultural and organizational perspective. Javier Rodríguez Zapatero, President of the Higher Institute for Internet Development (ISDI), opened the conversation as the keynote speaker.

In the panel moderated by David López, Commercial Director of ILUNION Hotels, participants included Toni Andújar, Corporate Digital & Madtech Director of Palladium Hotel Group; Pablo Beldarrain, Head of AI & Gen AI Solutions at EPAM NEORIS; and Manuel Monforte, Head of Commercial, Network, Alliances Data & AI at Iberia.

The participants agreed that the adoption of AI does not depend solely on technology, but on the ability of organizations to build trust, align teams, and give meaning to its use. Artificial Intelligence was understood as a tool that expands human capabilities and improves communication both internally and with the customer, provided it is integrated from a shared vision.

Biodiversity: building value together with the environment

The biodiversity forum expanded the dialogue toward the relationship between tourism and nature. Inés Oráa, representative of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in Spain, raised the need to move beyond sustainability toward regenerative models.

The panel, moderated by Elena Martín, Director of Sustainability and Excellence at ILUNION Hotels, featured Luis Suárez, conservation coordinator at WWF Spain; Blanca Bonilla, Head of the Blue Economy and Capacities for Ecological Transition Area at the Biodiversity Foundation; and Víctor Viñuales, co-founder and former executive director of the Ecology and Development Foundation (ECODES).

During the conversation, it was highlighted that tourism has the potential to become an active agent in ecosystem recovery. As Viñuales summarized, “It is not possible to build sustainable companies in an unsustainable biosphere.” Biodiversity was thus established as a strategic axis, rather than an accessory element.

Marketing: connecting through consistency

The marketing block focused on the relationship between brands and travelers in a context of information saturation. Gonzalo Madrid, co-founder of We Are Asombro, synthesized the current challenge: today it is not enough to be known; it is necessary to be chosen.

The panel, moderated by Teresa Zamora, Director of Marketing and Communication at ILUNION Hotels, brought together Bárbara Couto, Deputy Director General of International Tourism Marketing at Turespaña; Antonio Bauzá, Global Brand Communications Director at Iberostar Hotels & Resorts; and Elena González, Director of Communication and Marketing Projects at Promotur Turismo de Canarias. The dialogue showed that differentiation no longer depends only on visibility, but on the consistency between what is communicated and what is done. Marketing established itself as a space for active listening and building authentic relationships with the traveler.

Tourism: rethinking the model through value

The final forum took a global look at the sector. Inmaculada de Benito, director of the Tourism, Culture, and Sport department at the CEOE, invited a reflection on the need to evolve toward a model based on quality and value.

The conversation, moderated by Beatriz Miguel Díez, Managing Director of ILUNION Hotels, featured specialized journalists Manuel Molina, Juanda Núñez, and Carlos Molina. From their perspective, they analyzed the structural challenges of tourism and the evolution of demand. The conclusion was shared: tourism must redefine its value proposition to respond to a more conscious, demanding, and connected traveler. The shift from volume to value is not an option, but a necessity to ensure the sustainability of the sector.

A sector built through dialogue

The IV Be Inspiring Summit left a clear idea: tourism is an industry in constant evolution. Its future is not defined from individual positions, but from exchange, listening, and the ability to build collective responses.

In a context of accelerated transformation, the true differentiator of the sector will be its capacity to integrate these diverse perspectives and turn them into action. Because the value of tourism goes beyond destinations: it lies in the communities, organizations, and people who imagine and build it together.