Interview with Hicham Bouinane, In Out Travel, Madrid

Hicham, when and why did you start in the travel industry?

I’m originally from Morocco, where tourism is a major industry, so it was a natural career choice for me. After moving to Granada to complete my studies, I started working in hotels before transitioning to travel agencies. I’ve now been with In Out Travel for over 12 years.

You live in Madrid. What do you like most about the city?

I love everything about Madrid—living here, working here, the endless opportunities. And, of course, football! I’m a passionate Real Madrid supporter.

Can you describe In Out Travel in three sentences?

Summing up 25 years of experience in three sentences is tough! 😊
In Out Travel provides customized, personal service powered by state-of-the-art technology. With a team of 60, we specialize in Business Travel, Leisure Travel, and Event & Congress Management.

You’re a strong supporter of Umbrella Profiles and led the implementation at In Out Travel. What are the key reasons for your endorsement?

If a TMC stores profiles in multiple places, it needs Umbrella—period. Otherwise, it’s chaos for both agents and clients. Plus, Umbrella is easy to implement, and the team is incredibly supportive.

We met at a GlobalStar Meeting in Bucharest, which was a fantastic and fun event. Tell us more about GlobalStar and the benefits of being a member for In Out Travel.

"Go global, stay local." Competing against global TMCs for multinational clients is tough on our own. GlobalStar is the perfect solution to that challenge.

What are your biggest professional challenges at In Out Travel in 2025?

We’re implementing different booking tools, but clients in Spain have traditionally been hesitant to adopt online booking engines (OBEs). Our mission for 2025 is to help them embrace a hybrid booking model.