Spain: The Unanswered Majority

The most critical insight first:
A market in which 66% of all MICE offers created are of good or very good quality —but at the same time, 0% of hotels carry out a systematic needs analysis in MICE sales.

A market where excellent expertise meets structural process weaknesses.
A market that is not exploiting its own potential.

Welcome to the Spanish MICE sector.

Our latest benchmark study, which surveyed 231 conference hotels in Spain, paints a fascinating picture:
The Spanish hotel industry has impressive operational expertise, but systematically loses revenue due to a lack of structure in the convention sales process.

A direct comparison with Germany makes it clear:
It is not a question of which market is "better" – but rather what both can learn from each other.

View results now

Benchmark figures: How hotels systematically lose inquiries

Spain: The unanswered majority

First, the most serious finding:
45.5% of all event inquiries remain unanswered.
In addition, 8.7% are rejected.

Result: More than half of all inquiries do not result in an offer.

This is frustrating for event planners who are under time pressure and have to contact several hotels at the same time.
For hotels, it means:

lost revenue
damaged reputation
lost repeat business

Germany for comparison:
Only 36% of inquiries remain unanswered (Benchmark Report 2025).
9.5 percentage points better. Still room for improvement, but significantly more efficient.

Reaction times in comparison: Why speed determines sales

Of the Spanish hotels that respond at all, only 27.4% reply within 24 hours.

Reaction times in detail:

Under 12 hours: 22.6% – good, but could be improved
12–24 hours: 4.7% – alarmingly low
24–48 hours: 36.8% – the broad majority
48–72 hours: 9.4% – critically slow
Over 72 hours: 26.4% – unacceptable

Over a quarter require more than three business days to provide a quote.
In a market where event and meeting planners often make decisions within 48 hours, the business is long lost.

Germany by comparison:
40% respond within 24 hours – a lead of 12.6 percentage points.

The biggest structural weakness in the Spanish MICE market:

Perhaps the most revealing figure in the entire study:
0% of Spanish hotels conducted a qualified needs analysis before preparing their quotes.

Not a single hotel systematically asked clarifying questions.

What is specifically missing:

Questions about the nature and objectives of the event
Clarification of technical requirements
Coordination of catering, room layout, or schedule
Exploration of upselling potential
Differentiation from the competition

Instead, standardized MICE offerings are emerging that appear professional but rarely provide individualized advice.

Germany for comparison:

13% conduct a complete needs analysis
a further 23% at least partially

That is also low. But the difference between "not at all" and "to some extent" is crucial.

The quality paradox: Good offers despite a lack of analysis

Despite the lack of a needs analysis, 66% of Spanish offerings are of good or very good quality.

Detailed evaluation:

Very good: 29.2%
Good: 36.8%
Sufficient: 27.4%
Poor/unsatisfactory: 6.6%

How does that fit together?

The explanation lies in the input:
Many of the inquiries in the study were already highly qualified, with details on the number of participants, format, time frame, and requirements.

Spanish convention sales teams can deliver excellent results when requirements are clearly defined.

Germany for comparison:
Only 20% good or very good offers.
German hotels respond more quickly and follow up more often, but often fail in terms of offer quality.

Reactive competence vs. proactive consulting in convention sales

The study reveals a key pattern in Spanish MICE distribution:

Available:

high level of expertise
deep understanding of event formats
Ability to create detailed and appealing offers
professional communication

Not available:

proactive demand culture
structured needs assessment
consultative sales
standardized qualification processes

Spanish sales teams are excellent implementers, but rarely strategic advisors.
If there is no input, there is no demand—only standardization.

Structural causes: organization, processes, technology

The results reveal systemic challenges:

Organizational

MICE teams that are too small or overworked
Conference requests are treated in the same way as room reservations.
Lack of prioritization of convention sales

Procedural

No defined SOPs for response times
No standardized needs analysis catalogs
No quality checks before sending offers

Technological

highly manual processes
lack of automation
no integrated workflows

Benchmark Report Spain

The good news is that all these factors can be changed.

From analysis to implementation: Where optimization really begins

The study clearly shows:
The problem lies not in ability, but in the organization of that ability.

Optimization does not require radical investments, but above all:

Decision: MICE sales as a strategic priority
Discipline: Implementing processes consistently
Automation: Systematize needs analysis, quotations, and follow-ups
Learning ability: Continuously improving processes

Hotels that take these steps see a measurable increase in their success in the short term—not through better employees, but through better structures.