Log inILHA webinar series continues with "EU Market Recovery Trends"
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - 8 April 2021 - The International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) hosted their webinar series with a discussion on "EU Market Recovery Trends" on April 1. The webinar is part of the ILHA's virtual series that focuses on important post-COVID-19 topics as it relates to the future of luxury hotels.
The webinar was created by Alex Sogno, CEO & Senior Hotel Asset Manager, Global Asset Solutions, and European Chapter Head of the ILHA. Patrick Whyte, Editor in Chief, EMEA, Questex Travel & Hospitality, moderated the webinar with speakers Marc Dardenne, COO Luxury Brand Europe, Accor; Richard Brekelmans, Area Vice President Southern Europe, Marriott International; and Philippe Roux-Dessarps, General Manager, Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens.
You can view the webinar here
Some of the webinar's topics included the pace of luxury hotel recovery and how it would be dependent on the market and the hotel product, ie, whether it was a resort, urban-based, or located in the north or south. Speakers also discussed potential issues expected during hotel openings or re-openings and how the luxury hotel industry is preparing itself for the future.
Richard Brekelmans of Marriott International has seen Spain improving, specifically the Canary Islands. He also noted that French travelers are now booking travel to the Canary Islands, which they weren't doing prior.
Philippe Roux-Dessarps of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens has noticed a swift reaction to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Whether it's Germany or the UK, there is an immediate and very rapid flow of reservations, which shows a lot of pent-up demand for travel. Roux-Dessarps also noted that tourism in Greece is very important since it represents 10% of employment and approximately 40 billion euro for the country.
Marc Dardenne of Accor believes we need to learn from the countries that are currently doing well amid the pandemic and study their strategies. He also noted that Accor kept their hotel rates very flat, taking into consideration that most travelers weren't able to take an extravagant vacation and were mainly looking for a quick and easy getaway.
The speakers all agreed that one of the main challenges they will have to overcome is building the public's confidence to start traveling again. More than ever, work and leisure are intertwined since people are working remotely. Philippe Roux-Dessarps noted that finding a way to offer workspaces within your hotel is something that will be important for future travelers.
Join the next webinar on "Strategies to Transform Hotel Guest Experience" on Wednesday, April 28 at 11:00 pm ET with Bridget Tran, CMO & CDO, The Transformation Groupe moderating, and speakers from hotelAVE, Ritz Carlton and Canyon Ranch.
