Accor, a leading world hotel operator with 8 properties in the Philippines, is showing its positive outlook on the Philippine economy and is set to expand its operations rapidly within four years.
The French company hotel group currently runs the following hotels in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Boracay: Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, Hotel Fairmont Makati, Hotel Raffles Makati, Joy Nostalg Manila, Novotel Manila Araneta City, Mercure Manila Ortigas, Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu, Mövenpick Resort and Spa Boracay. Together these 8 properties offer 2,127 rooms.
The French multinational hospitality company, a member of the CAC 40 index in the Paris stock exchange and headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineux, France, announced it will be expanding its operation in Philippines and aims to have over 22 hotels with over 5,500 rooms by the end of 2024.
Nine new hotels signed up for 2020 for an additional 2,155 rooms, increasing Accor’s network to 15 new hotels in the Philippines with over 3,900 new rooms. Seven brands from Accor’s extensive portfolio of 38 brands will make their debut in the Philippines — Pullman Living, MGallery, Swissôtel, Novotel Living, Banyan Tree, Angsana and Ibis Styles.
Michael Issenberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Asia Pacific Accor, in an exclusive interview with the Boardroom Watch of Margie Logarta in The Manila Times, shares he is happy to see the Philippines and its neighbors in the ASEAN region raise its tourism profile and said the changes in the country have been remarkable.
“Well, you could pretty much say that about all of Asia. Everyone talks all the time about China, but Asean, as a block, is, I believe, underrated by the world. It’s growing faster than China. It has a huge population and enormous potential. The Philippines is part of this growth,” Issenberg said.
Issenberg also notes that low-cost carriers Air Asia and Cebu Pacific have made Philippine travel more accessible, saying, “They opened up new markets and made travel so much more affordable. They enabled the industry to grow.”
Issenberg also foresees ASEAN travelers including Filipino travelers “will still want the basics of security, cleanliness, soundproofing and a good breakfast, which today’s innkeepers, he stresses, should not neglect to provide.”
Accor Upper Southeast & Northeast Asia and the Maldives chief operating officer Patrick Basset said that the “Philippines is a market with great potential, and our recent signings underlines Accor’s long-term commitment to the vibrant nation. Last year, the travel and tourism industry was the fastest-growing sector in the Philippines.
“We are delighted to showcase even more of the Philippines with a wider choice of accommodation that makes as much sense for our hotel owners as much as it does for our guests,” Basset said in a Hotel Management report.
Other global hotel chains have picked on the Philippines’ robust tourism sector, including Marriott which is tripling its expansion in the Philippines and Wyndham Destinations setting up in Clark.
Ireland is set to open its Embassy in Manila this 2020 to improve tourism and investments.
SEND cheers in the comments below to the hospitality sector in the Philippines as more travelers eye the country for good travel experiences!
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