by Thomas Dubaere - CEO Accor South America

 A true global leader in hotel operations, with a #1 position worldwide in all regions (except US & China), a #1 position in Economy and Midscale (except US & China) and #2 position in Luxury and Lifestyle worldwide, Accor continuously introduces fresh concepts and exciting new places to discover. The Group has a robust development pipeline with plans to open more than 300 new hotels and resorts in 2022 around the world, including Latin America.

With a historic global leadership position in the Economy and Midscale segments, Accor has made a strong push in growth & development over the last several years, carving out a global leadership position in the Luxury and Lifestyle segments, the latter of which is represented by the Group’s stake in Ennismore.

More than 40% of Accor’s worldwide development projects involve the refurbishment of existing buildings, underpinning the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments.  This nicely complements the Group’s development activity on new build projects.

Rising confidence is driving recovery in the global hospitality sector. Mindful of the current global economic outlook, the underlying trend for international travel remains positive. In South America, where we operate 424 hotels, the pick-up in business volumes was notably impressive. Occupancy rates improved and remained above the 2019 level throughout Q3 2022. Our ambition includes growing in the United States, in the 10 mega cities and main tourist destinations, mainly with the Novotel, Swissotel and Pullman brands. We are looking forward to an incredible 2023 and hope to share more news at SAHIC in Cartagena.