GAT Gestión de Activos Turísticos is a company with more than ten years of experience as an independent hotel operator, investment expert and consultant specialized in creating value for the sector.

On this occasion, we spoke with GAT about their view on the hotel sector. Also, we learned about some of the solutions they have implemented at their hotels. 

Digitization in the hotel sector

Do you believe that digitization of processes is a key issue for the hotel sector? 

No doubt, but another key issue when facing these new challenges is making sure you have management software available to help manage talent and automate processes in order to save time and resources, which can be invested in a more intelligent and sustainable management over time.

Any experience at this level has an immediate effect by customers enjoying these services when they share it on social networks. This provides a dual benefit, since customers are the best sales agents and consumer motivators for hotels.

From GAT we see that among the biggest challenges that hotels currently face is the selection of digitization processes that will allow them to become more efficient in terms of costs and facilitate more interactions with their customers through digital services, either during check-in and check-out or through a continuous communication with customers, before and after their stay.

Simplifying the digital transformation process and adopting digitization models is a process that entails reviewing the way companies interact with their environments: their customers, employees and suppliers.

Do you think the sector is sufficiently digitized? 

First and foremost, we must be aware that technology is just one aspect of the digital transformation of a business. The biggest change that must be assimilated by companies has to do with culture within the organization and not only with the use of new technologies.

An extremely important factor is the attitude of leaders at the company with respect to digital transformation. They must firmly believe in the process and should portray this belief to the rest of employees. Personnel in charge of a team, area or department must lead by example and support the strategy from top to bottom.

To conclude, I would say there is still much to do in this respect, the digital transformation process must be gradual but constant at the same time. Companies cannot postpone their digital transformation any longer if they want to continue competing in an ever changing and demanding market.

Solutions implemented by GAT

Of the different hotels managed by GAT and which are part of the Bavel transactions platform, Hotel Antequera Hills, Hotel Aragon Hills, Hotel Ziryab and The Residences Islantilla Apartments among others, have a special interest in being able to issue B2B, B2G and also B2C invoices.

Why have you decided to implement 100% electronic invoices? 

Fundamentally because of the number of benefits this solution provides:

•     Reduced payment delivery and collection times.
•     Improved employee satisfaction.
•     IT costs savings.
•     Increased productivity.
•     New business opportunities.
•     Reduced environmental impact.
•     Agile, secure and legal storage.
•     Elimination of the risk of loss.
•     Increased security.
•     Recruiting talent.

Also worth mentioning is that Spain has decided to make the use of electronic invoices mandatory for companies (B2B). The measure has been published by the General Directorate of Economic Policies in a draft Bill on the Start-up and Growth of Companies. 

How have end-customers accepted digitized invoices? What are its advantages?

In general, digitized invoices have been very well accepted, mainly because they improve customer experience. Digitizing some processes at the company increases customer retention levels. Also, digital channels allow interacting with customers in an easier and more dynamic way.

With digital transformation at its peak, we must make sure that all customers remain by our side and embrace the changes entailed by this technological revolution.

Ultimately, bridging this digital divide is vitally important in terms of accessing and using digital technologies by certain persons or groups. Naturally, in the first place, we must understand that not everyone can access the network or use it on equal terms and even though for some people this may be a simple every day task, for others it may be very difficult or even impossible.

In this process of issuing and sending invoices to end-customers, you have taken marketing actions offering promotions on future reservations. Do you feel this has provided the desired effect?

Certainly, we have implemented an e-marketing action consisting of adding an advertisement banner in the body of the email with the invoice as an attachment. The message by us, and to prevent the customer from identifying the message as intrusive Spam, is sent to let the customer know about special offers early as they are considered a loyal customer. We feel this method of communicating is well accepted because we try to make sure the design is appropriate, the message is natural, the offer is attractive and this effort, beyond achieving direct sales, has an impact in terms of the perceived image; a brand that takes care of its most loyal customers by offering them exclusive benefits.

We would like to thank GAT for this interview. Without a doubt, the hotel sector must embrace digital transformation. Companies that do this now will have a greater advantage.

La entrada Digitization of the hotel sector by GAT se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

Hesperia could save 50,000 sheets of paper in the next 5 years

Grupo Hesperia continues to advance in its commitment towards digitization and sustainability; two key factors affecting the competitiveness of the hotel sector. With the aim of achieving greater efficiency in managing the purchasing processes, the company has outsourced services offered by Economitza and Voxel to optimize their purchasing processes and administration.

The process involved modifying a task which in the past was basically carried out manually, and turning it into an automated and digitized process that saves time and paper and is aligned with the hotel’s sustainability objectives. Currently, Grupo Hesperia has already digitized their transactions with more than 50 suppliers and expects to reach 160 suppliers in 2022, which is more than 50% of their volume of operations in terms of the number of invoices they issue.

In the first 6 months since the new system was implemented, more than 5,000 invoices have been automatically processed, which significantly simplifies the managing of the processes associated with supplier orders and invoices for its 23 hotels. This way, the group spent 1,200 less hours per year managing processes.

For the following phase of the project, Hesperia will once again hire Voxel to develop and implement electronic delivery notes and send digital orders to achieve a process that is paper free in all its phases. With this initiative, and after being implemented for just six months, the hotel company has been able to dematerialize over 5,000 invoices. In 5 years, the company could reduce their consumption by at least 50,000 sheets of paper.

To achieve this milestone, in a first phase, the hotel company hired management company Economitza, through its E-Market, to create their database of products and suppliers. Assisted by Economitza, Hesperia was able to manage and consolidate their materials database, generate electronic orders and integrate all this information in their ERP system. In order to complete the digitization process, they trusted Voxel and their electronic invoicing platform, baVel, to digitize the administrative process. baVel was integrated with Economitza’s E-Market and with all the suppliers to transmit electronic invoices and create an automatic flow. Economitza’s E-market checks the invoice against the order and adds all the information to Hesperia’s ERP. This way, a digitized and optimized process was achieved thanks to a smooth coordination process between Hesperia, Economitza and baVel.

Javier Carazo, Resources Director of Hesperia, recognized that “the savings that can be achieved resulting from volume sales is important; however, we must also make sure that the processing of each order is optimal. Every cent counts.”

On the other hand, Àngel Garrido, Voxel CEO, noted that “The digitization and optimization of administrative processes in hotel businesses is key for these companies to grow exponentially and expand in a sustainable manner. Our solutions are designed for large chains such as Hesperia, but also for medium and small size businesses.” He continues saying that “We are very proud of being one of the trusted partners of Hesperia in their commitment towards digitization and sustainability.”

“We have launched this project in record time. Coordination between the three teams has been key. We are very satisfied and ready to continue digitizing processes with our partners”, added Carazo.

If you want to know more about the digitization process from start to finish, read about the success case we have drafted together with Hesperia.

La entrada Grupo Hesperia invests in digitization and sustainability by the hands of Voxel se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

Associations, companies and experts expect 2022 will be a good year for business travel. Let’s see what the numbers say in this regard.

The pandemic outbreak brought the entire travel sector to an abrupt stop. Since then, a lot has been said regarding when pre-pandemic levels are expected to be reached in one of the most important businesses in the world.

Leisure travel was the first sector to recover. According to data from Exceltur, the travel sector in Spain closed 2021 with 88 billion EUR of activity; about 7.5% of the GDP. In this year 2022, sales are expected to reach 135 billion EUR. In fact, some companies in the travel industry are already seeing pre-pandemic turnover figures.

What about business travel?

Even though technology has allowed us to remain connected to the world, the truth is that business travel is still a requirement for companies. In contrast to some opinions expecting this segment would disappear, experts predict that 2022 will be a pivotal year for the business travel segment.

According to the latest survey conducted by Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), 75% of travel managers believe the volume of business travel in 2022 will be the same or a bit higher than the previous years. Likewise, specialized companies also expect their income to increase this year. The same association expects a full recovery to occur in 2024, when pre-pandemic levels will be exceeded.

What do corporate travelers want?

Employees still prefer face to face meetings. In fact, according to this report by Amadeus, 75% of travelers have indicated they expect to travel in 2022.

Even though the use of the word “bleisure” (a blend of the words “business” and “leisure”) had become fashionable, the trend is now evolving towards using “workcation” (a blend of the words “work” and “vacation”). This means that business trips will be longer and business meetings will be combined with wellness activities. In fact, 1 out of every 3 corporate travelers indicate they would like to include a leisure activity in their business trips, as explained by the BBC.

In this sense, data from Amadeus has shown how the duration of the trips have increased compared to 2020.

Technology for users but also for companies

Technology has also played a key role throughout the pandemic. Contactless, artificial intelligence, online check-in, VCCs and even online communication are now essential tools for companies in the travel industry as well as travelers.

In this sense, companies in the travel industry have had time to analyze and restore their internal processes to become more efficient once the business volume returns to normal levels. For this reason, new technological solutions are being adopted, such as Payment Manager, to digitize and optimize processes that were highly inefficient before the pandemic such as B2B payments. Companies have understood that in order to emerge stronger from the crisis, they need to apply technology to all their processes and not only to those related with the end user. 

In conclusion, the sector is ready. Everything indicates that 2022 will be the year when we will stop reporting negative figures and begin reporting corporate travel growth prospects in green. Business Travel will return in full force.

La entrada Outlook of business travel in 2022 se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

Sometime in 2022, the Belgian government will introduce a draft bill with more details about how the mandatory B2B e-invoice will be implemented.

More than a decade ago, we experienced an e-invoice boom in Latin America. Now this trend has arrived in Europe. And the last country to adopt this trend is Belgium. Through its Ministry of Finance, Belgium has confirmed that, sooner than later, the use of B2B e-invoices will be mandatory in all its territory.

The government is already working on the draft bill, which will specify the schedule of application and technical details of the system. We expect the draft bill to be introduced sometime in 2022, at which time it will be debated and possible modifications may be made.

What do we know right now?

The application of the mandatory B2B electronic invoice is expected to be phased in. Large companies will be the first ones required to adopt it. On the other hand, medium and small sized companies will have more time to adapt to the new regulation.

As far as the model to follow, everything suggests that Belgium will decide to use a clearance model, as has been done by countries like Italy and France. In the clearance model, electronic invoices are first sent to the public administration to be validated. This way, the government has real time control of the B2B e-invoices that are issued in the country.

Technically speaking, the invoices must be issued in a structured format that is yet to be determined. This way, integration with government systems as well as company management systems is guaranteed.

The aim of this new regulation is to fight against tax fraud. According to the EU “VAT gap”, tax fraud in Belgium could amount to as much as 3,600 million each year.

Current state of the electronic invoice in Belgium

Currently companies can use the B2B e-invoice as long as the issuer as well as the receiver agree to use this method. It is also essential that control systems are implemented for issuing, receiving and storing e-invoices. When this system is used, hard copies of the invoices do not need to be printed.

If you want to stay ahead of the legislation and implement electronic invoicing at your company, please contact Voxel. We are experts in electronic invoicing in the travel sector with more than 20 years of experience helping companies digitize their invoicing processes. Please contact us at info@voxelgroup.net.

La entrada Belgium confirms their intention to adopt a mandatory B2B e-invoice se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The new coalition government has confirmed their intention to adopt a mandatory B2B electronic invoice for the entire country in the next few years.

One of the first things the newly established coalition government has done is decide to adopt a mandatory B2B electronic invoicing system in Germany. The main objective of this measure, which does not yet have an implementation date, is to fight against tax fraud.

Germany has a lot of work ahead of them in terms of defining this mandatory measure and how it will be implemented. However, the German government has already expressed their intention to adopt a model similar to the SdI model in Italy or the French model. These countries have opted for establishing a clearance system, where taxpayers send their invoices to the public administration, who in turn validates them in real time before sending them to the receiver.

Implementing a B2B electronic invoicing system in Germany will be a challenge since the 16 federal states have their own system. For this reason, in the next few months we will see very significant progress in this area.

State of the electronic invoice in Germany

Currently, the B2B electronic invoice in Germany is not mandatory but companies that want to can use it for their internal processes.

Likewise, and in accordance with European Directive 2014/55/EU, public administration suppliers have been required to use electronic invoicing for their transactions with government agencies (B2G) since 27 November 2020.

To comply with the European Directive, each federated state has had the freedom to establish their own model, as long as it follows the minimum guidelines set out in the German law on electronic invoices, E-Rechnungs-Gesetz. For more information on how the B2G electronic invoice works in Germany, please click here.

B2B electronic invoicing in Europe

Recently we are seeing how many countries in Europe are working to implement the B2B mandatory electronic invoice in their country. First, it was Italy and more recently France, Poland and Spain, among other countries. This has become an unstoppable trend that requires public administrations and private companies to modernize their invoicing systems.

The implementation of the electronic invoice is a unique opportunity to digitize the processes of a company, optimize their operation and save time and money.

baVel is the leading electronic invoicing platform in the travel sector worldwide and in the HORECA channel in Spain. If you want to know how we can help you implement the B2B electronic invoicing at your company, please send us an email at info@voxelgroup.net and an expert from our team will contact you.

La entrada A mandatory B2B electronic invoice moves forward in Germany se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

La entrada Electronic invoicing: legislative developments for 2022 se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

In 2019, Italy was the first country in the European Union to implement mandatory e-invoicing through the SdI.

Two years later, the country has again asked the European Union for permission to continue implementing this regulation until 31 December 2024. For the time being, the European Commission has given its approval. All that remains now is the final decision of the European Council, which is expected to be very favourable.

In this way, Italian companies will continue to use electronic invoices for all their transactions. Also to communicate in real time with the Agenzia delle Entrate through the Sistema di Intercambio (SdI).

Thus, Italy successfully consolidates the e-invoicing model that many European countries are trying to copy.

Italy’s reasons for extending the SdI system

One of the main reasons for Italy’s push to extend the SdI and e-invoice was to fight tax evasion. Three years later, the Italian government claims to have collected more than 2 billion euros in VAT and reduced tax fraud.

Businesses have also benefited from this legislative change. The imposition of electronic invoicing has forced them to take a further step in the digital transformation of their business, digitising and automating one of the most important back-office processes: the issuing and receipt of invoices.

A bit of history…

The Legge di Bilancio, drafted in 2018, was the starting signal for mandatory B2B e-invoicing in Italy. In it, it was established that as of 1 January 2019 all invoices issued by Italian companies should be electronic. The format was also defined, in this case XML. And the model: clearance. In this way, the Agenzia delle Entrate was to receive all invoices in real-time before the invoice recipient. For invoices with foreign receivers, Italy created the esterometro.

Subsequently, Italy also eliminated the esterometro, unifying the transmission of all invoices through the SdI.

Europe copies Italy

Following the success of the Italian model, many EU countries are designing similar systems. One example is France. France will impose the use of e-invoicing progressively from 2023 to 2025, taking the SdI as an example.

Another example is Poland, which has recently started the voluntary period for the use of e-invoicing in the business-to-business (B2B) sphere and is expected to make it compulsory by 2023. Poland has also adopted a clearance model through the FSeF system.

And Spain has recently joined the list of countries intending to extend the use of B2B e-invoicing. However, the legislation has not yet been adapted in this country.

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La entrada SdI remains in Italy until 2024, at least se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

What’s new in e-invoicing in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary.

We have said it many times before: e-invoicing is a global trend. Countries all over the world are making rapid progress in order not to be left behind. A good example of this is the United States, as we reported a few weeks ago. However, today on the blog, we will focus on the innovations published by three European countries: Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary.

Electronic invoicing in Bulgaria

The Bulgarian Tax Agency has opened a public consultation on the implementation of electronic invoicing in the country. The results of this consultation are expected to be published before the end of the year. This is a first step, far from a real implementation, which could come as of 2023.

Following other models in Europe, such as Italy or France, Bulgaria wants to adopt a clearance model for electronic invoicing. In this model, companies must wait for validation by the tax authority for an invoice to be valid.

Currently, in Bulgaria, the use of electronic invoicing is allowed, as long as there is an agreement between the customer and the supplier.

E-invoicing in Slovakia

Slovakia has been working for some time on an e-invoicing model for the country.

The proposed law is expected to be published in the first months of 2022.

The Ministry of Finance has created a website about the e-invoicing initiative in the country. From it, we know that there will be a unified process of electronic circulation of invoices. Also a unified process of sending structured invoice data to the financial administration. This will be implemented through an information and communication solution called “informačný systém elektronickej fakturácie”.

The system will support both the issuing and receiving of electronic invoices. And it will facilitate the creation of structured invoices by foreign suppliers.

Technically, the e-invoice system is expected to be UBL 2.1 and CII D16B.

Details of the implementation dates have also been published:

• January 2022 for the public domain (B2G).
• January 2023 for B2B and B2C.

The situation in Hungary

In Hungary there is no specific regulation for the use of mandatory e-invoicing. However, an immediate reporting system (RTIR) is in place.

Through this system, all taxpayers in the country must complete the report periodically.

Since November 2021, the information collected by the RTIR is used to prepare the Hungarian VAT return drafts.

Follow our blog to keep up to date with all the latest legislative developments on e-invoicing around the world. Subscribe to our newsletter and you will receive the latest news directly to your inbox.

La entrada E-invoicing in Europe: Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The entry into force of electronic invoicing in France is delayed.

The Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFiP) approved the Budget Law at the end of 2020. In it, the government established the obligation to use electronic invoicing in France in the B2B environment by 2023.

Gradually, France has been publishing details about this invoicing model. One of the most relevant is the model that the country will use. It is a clearance model in which companies must communicate in real-time with the country’s tax authorities.

For companies, this implies a technical adaptation that involves an investment of resources and time.

This is why the DGFiP has decided to give French companies more time and to modify the initial electronic invoicing implementation schedule.

New dates for the obligation

The new timetable for implementing electronic invoicing in France is as follows:

• Large companies: 1 July 2024. Large companies are defined as those with more than 5,000 employees and a turnover of more than 1,5000 million euros.
• Medium-sized companies: 1 January 2025.
• Small companies: 1 January 2026. Small companies are defined as those with fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than 50 million euros.

Thus, the French government has given an extra year to adapt to the obligation.

New e-Reporting system

In parallel to the introduction of electronic invoicing in France, the DGFiP has set up a new e-Reporting system. In e-Reporting, companies must report their transactions periodically to the corresponding tax authority.

This new system is designed for companies that carry out international transactions, both B2C and B2B.

Thus, most companies will have to send this report within 4 days from the end of the week. Companies taxed under a special tax regime will have to submit the e-report on a monthly basis.

The timetable for the implementation of e-reporting is the same as the timetable for the implementation of e-invoicing.

How do I adapt my company to all these changes?

Adapting to all the changes and technical requirements demanded by the use of electronic invoicing can be a challenge for many companies. For this reason, many companies rely on the experience of a partner to make the entire transition.

Voxel develops solutions for the digitalisation of the value chain. baVel is the leading e-invoicing platform in the tourism industry. The baVel network currently includes more than 50,000 hotels and 1,000 tour operators and travel agencies in 100 countries, and handles more than 90 million e-invoices per year.

If you would like to find out how we can help you, write to info@voxelgroup.net and one of our experts will contact you.

La entrada Changes in the implementation of electronic invoicing in France se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.

The e-invoice will arrive in the country in December and its implementation will consist of two phases.

Less than a year ago, Saudi Arabia announced that e-invoicing would be mandatory by 2021. Since then, the country has detailed technical specifications, implementation phases and other information of interest. Below, we review the most important aspects to keep in mind if your company operates in Saudi Arabia.

FATOORAH Project

FATOORAH is the name of the e-invoicing project in Saudi Arabia. ZATCA is the tax authority responsible for the project.

In Saudi Arabia, e-invoicing will be mandatory for B2B, B2G and B2C transactions. And all taxpayers resident in the country will have to adopt it.

Implementation date and phases

The implementation of e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia will begin on 4 December 2021. From that date, paper invoices, or manual invoices, will no longer be accepted. Phase 1 of the project will then begin.

In phase 1 the taxpayer will have to generate the e-invoices with a compatible system. The taxpayer must also store the file and send an electronic copy to the customer. The e-invoice must contain information on the buyer’s tax number, the date of issue and the VAT breakdown. An optional QR code can be added to B2B invoices. The QR code is mandatory for B2C invoices or simplified invoices.

Phase 2 of e-invoicing implementation in Saudi Arabia will start on 1 January 2023. From that date, all invoicing systems will have to be integrated or compatible with the ZATCA system. Thereafter, invoices will have to be generated in XLM format. Certain mechanisms must also be implemented to ensure the security of electronic invoicing. These mechanisms are the electronic signature, the universal unique identifier and the hash. Including a QR code on the invoice will also be mandatory in phase 2 of the implementation of e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia.

If you do not want to miss the legislative updates on e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia, or in the rest of the world, subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

La entrada The implementation of e-invoicing in Saudi Arabia is now effective se publicó primero en Voxel - Blog.