Conference market looking up, says Accor

Conference market looking up, says Accor
By admin


The last few months have seen the corporate and conference markets show signs of improvement, according to French hotel giant Accor.

Speaking at the annual World of Accor event on Thursday, chief operating officer Pacific Simon McGrath reported an encouraging performance across the board.

Sydney and Melbourne recorded 8% in revpar growth, with Adelaide up 10%. Brisbane and Perth were a little more “patchy”, he admitted, due to the slowing of the mining boom but overall, he was buoyed by the results.

“The corporate markets are starting to return and the conference market has really started to respond in the last few months,” he continued.

“We expect the second half of this year to continue that natural progression.”

 Meanwhile, McGrath pointed to a resurgence in the luxury travel segment in Australia, revealing a number of ways Accor is tapping into the trend.

He pointed to rising interest in the luxury end of the hotel market as room rates and revpar continue to rise, with further growth expected over the coming years.

“We’re all enjoying that resurgence of uber luxury and we’re taking part in that,” McGrath said.

In addition to its handful of Sofitel properties in the region, Accor now has 12 Pullman hotels.

“It’s the fastest growing large upscale brand in region from a standing start 24 months ago,” he said, adding the growing MGallery portfolio also sits at that end of the market.

“So, you can see the luxury investment that Accor continues to make.”

Its emphasis on food and beverage is also an important part of the luxury trend, seen most recently with the appointment of celebrity chef Justin North as the culinary ambassador for the Pullman portfolio.

Meanwhile, the upward trajectory of low cost carriers in the region is also driving the importance of the economy hotel sector, with Accor continuing to grow its Ibis collection, most recently with the launch of Ibis Adelaide and the announcement of a new Ibis at Brisbane Airport.

McGrath also revealed that the coming weeks will see the hotel firm announce the largest Ibis in Australasia.

All of these developments are signs of Accor’s commitment to continue expanding its hotel network in Australia, he continued.

Accor is “pleased” with its current local network which places the market at fourth or fifth in the world, McGrath confirmed.

“But are we finished? Absolutely not,” he said. “The strategy is to continue and to in fact go further. Our interest remains as keen as ever, in fact keener.”

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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