Speaking to TTG at WTM London, Finn Ackermann, Iberostar's chief commercial officer, highlighted a 50% increase in bookings from the UK market in the past 24 months, an estimated 60% of which came from the trade, which are typically more lucrative compared with direct bookings.
"This [increase in trade bookings] is really massive and it’s something we were hoping for, but not expecting,” he revealed. “It’s the fruit of great work by business development director Aishling [McLoughlin] and her team.”
Ackermann believes rising demand for personalisation in hotel stays is helping to drive this shift, with the brand focusing on offering more choice in room layouts and categories in the resorts it has coming into market in 2026.
The new five-star, beachfront Iberostar Selection Montenegro will welcome guests to its 290 new-build suites and villas in May 2026, while a hotly anticipated Zanzibar resort will open its doors next November.
These properties come hot on the heels of Iberostar Selection Riviera Cancun, which opened officially on 1 November 2025.
Iberostar's Finn Ackermann (Credit: Iberostar)
Besides investing in new properties, the group expects to spend €210 million refurbishing its existing resorts over the next three to five years. Ackermann revealed a significant proportion of this spend will go towards its Caribbean destinations.
Next year, we will close Iberostar Waves Tucan, which is in Playa del Carmen,” said Ackermann. “It will remain a Waves property, but it will be completely refurbished and will reopen by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027 – it’s one of our massive projects for next year.”
The Iberostar Foundation's partnership with the Planeterra Foundation is also a core focus for 2026, with the the group aiming to support 36 community tourism projects with a potential reach of 755,000 travellers.
As of 31 July 2025, seven initiatives had been implemented within 17 local communities, impacting the lives of more than 4,400 people. These more responsible, community-led experiences include swimming in cenotes in Mexico and learning about the benefits of argan oil in Morocco.
