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VIDEO: 2018 MR&H venue announcement imminent

The first week in January 2018 not only signifies the turning of a new year, but will also be the time that the hospitality industry learns of the venue for the 2018 edition of the Mediterranean Resort & Hotel Real Estate Forum. And while we aren't going to give away any hints (it will be somewhere spectacular), we can look back on the 2017 event, which was held outside Barcelona at PortAventura World. 

There, discussion centered on many topics that remain constant across Europe, including geopolitical volatility (Catalonia denizens are voting today in Spain following a controversial independence referendum) and economic growth as the European Union eases back off quantitative easing. What will it all mean for tourism and hospitality investment?  

Thanos Papasavvas, an economist and founder and CIO of ABP Invest, tried making sense of an uncertain world at the conference. The good news, he said, was that, according to the IMF, there is "a positive outlook and upgrade of world economic growth," citing data that suggest a 3.6-percent growth rate in 2017, and "not just in some parts of the world, but across developed and emerging markets." 

He was mainly bullish on the eurozone, stating, "It's having its best performance since the financial crisis in terms of growth, low inflation, falling unemployment and improving sentiment."

It's within this context of optimism that we look forward to convening in the Med next year for MR&H. Before we do, take a look at the 2017 recap video, and stay tuned to this space to find out what 2018 holds in store for the conference!