A unique hotel forum will be held in Athens, Greece from October 17th to 19th this year. Mediterranean Resort&Hotel Real Forum, which will bring together over 300 industry representatives at the Mediterranean resort. The event will focus on exclusive investments and opportunities. development opportunities available in the Mediterranean and emerging trends. The integration of major tour operators into the hotel sector will also be discussed.
According to experts, this trend is gaining momentum every year - large maintenance They are trying to acquire real estate and strengthen their position in this field in order to be less dependent on hotels, reports Hotel Management.
For example, the largest British company Thomas Cook created an investment platform for the acquisition of hotels with a Swiss hotel group LMEYThey launched a joint fund to manage hotels worth a total of approximately £150 million.
Commenting on the group's plans, CEO of Thomas Cook Peter Fankhauser said that "the fund and the new Cook's Club are an innovative concept for a new segment that will allow the company to create its own branded hotels and have an even greater customer reach than before."
"We have big ambitions for 2020. We plan to manage 10 to 15 hotels within the fund. We have a loyal partner, as persistent as we are. We've proven that we can truly launch new, attractive concepts, and we know how to manage hotels. I'm convinced this is a successful model. It will also attract investors." — added the head of the company.
Thomas Cook Hotel Investments owns hotels and 50 percent of the fund. The company can now use the fund to raise capital from third parties.
"We currently have eight hotels in the fund. The company has extensive hotel management experience and a client base to fill them, while our partner, LMEY, has extensive experience in the hotel industry. We also have a program for opening new hotels that will not be part of this fund," Matt Magee from Thomas Cook clarified.
TUI Group has also accumulated significant experience in hotel management. The company's management believes that in unique destinations and year-round locations, property ownership is an excellent strategy.
Fritz Joussen and Peter Long, TUI Group executives, said: "We're in an excellent position. We're not just a tour operator or a network of travel agencies, but we own more than 300 hotels, cruise lines, and a fleet of 140 aircraft. This sets us apart from our competitors, allowing us to independently shape the market in new destinations, setting travel trends for the future."
In turn, Sebastian Ebel, Member of the Executive Board of TUI Group, responsible for hotels and resorts, said: "We aim to deliver significant growth across our own hotel brands, TUI Blue, RIU, Robinson, and Magic Life, over the next few years. Expanding our portfolio in Greece allows us to take another step towards achieving this goal."
It is worth noting, TUI Group continues to expand its Hotels & Resorts segmentEarlier this year, the group acquired Stella Polaris SA, a subsidiary of the Greek Karatzis group and owner of land on the southern coast of Crete, to open the new Robinson Club.
By expanding its hotel portfolio, TUI Group is positioning itself as an integrated tourism business focused on its own hotels and cruise brands. These two segments already account for half of the group's operating results. Since merging with TUI Travel PLC at the end of 2014, TUI Group has expanded its portfolio with 27 new hotels, nine of which have opened this year alone.
Earlier in January, RIU Hotels & Resorts signed a strategic agreement with the Baraka business group to participate in the ownership and renovation of the Edificio España skyscraper in one of Madrid's main squares. The Baraka hotel chain formed a joint venture in which RIU received a 25 percent stake. The agreement signed between the two companies also included a management contract for the hotel, which was scheduled to open two years after the renovation was completed.
"We are very excited about this new project, which will make our Riu Plaza brand the face of the company in Spain, thanks to its prime location on Madrid's Gran Via. This partnership with Baraka is an excellent opportunity to strengthen our brand's positioning in Spain and around the world," they stated. Carmen and Luis Riu Carmen and Luis Rio RIU Hotels & Resorts executives.
Competition in key markets, including Spain, is only heating up. So, in May tour operator Apple Leisure Group from AMResorts entered Europe through an agreement with a Spanish company NH Hotel Group.
Apple's AMResorts division will oversee hotel management and sales, while NH will support operational management of the properties. The companies have begun jointly managing a number of beach resorts located in Spain, including hotels under the Alligo Hotels & Resorts brand.
“Spain is the gateway to the hotel segment in Mediterranean Europe, being the second most visited country in the world in 2017,” he said. Javier Coll, chief executive officer of Apple Leisure Group.
""The time has come to expand our footprint in the Atlantic and Europe, starting with Spain. Through this partnership, NH Hotel Group is helping us enter the country's most competitive and popular destinations, as well as other Mediterranean markets, such as Italy, where NH has a strong presence," he added.
The expansion into Europe marks the next stage of a long-standing partnership between AMResorts and NH, which began in 2011 when the companies created a similar model to open three resorts in the Dominican Republic, where AMResorts now has a strong presence.
Do all these deals and strategies mean that tour operators are now hoteliers? Rather, it speaks of the intention of the TO to obtain the maximum profit from its activities, as far as possible, to diversify and expand the business, while minimizing any risks beyond the control of the company itself.
"We're a travel company. We own an airline and a tour operator, but at the core of our business are our own branded hotels. We currently have 180 hotels open, and they're at the core of our strategy. They deliver better customer satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. Owning more hotels means more revenue and greater control over the business," Matt Magee from Thomas Cook clarified.
Source: trn-news.ru
