Divers

📚 Sun Siyam Resorts, in collaboration with the Maldives' Ministry of Higher Education, launched the Sun Siyam Apprenticeship Program on July 1, 2025, at Siyam World Maldives. Thirteen apprentices will undergo a six-month training under the World Bank-funded SAILS project, focusing on skill development across various resort departments. This initiative aims to enhance career prospects for Maldivian youth through structured, real-world experiences, mentorship, and compliance with national certification standards.

📈 Le 18 juin, Pierre & Vacances – Center Parcs a lancé une revue stratégique pour explorer des options de développement. Avec un objectif d’EBITDA ajusté supérieur à 180 M€, le plan « RéInvention » depuis 2022 a rehaussé l’offre, amélioré la performance, et attiré les investisseurs. Morgan Stanley et BNP Paribas conseillent cette initiative. Les options incluent le développement organique, des partenariats stratégiques, et des ajustements capitalistiques. Aucun changement actionnarial n'est encore décidé.

🏨 Promises of high occupancy rates by hotel chains often mislead investors with inflated data. Contracts typically favor franchisors, imposing long terms and penalties. Hidden fees can include brand royalties (4-10% of revenue), entry fees, reservation fees, marketing costs, and compliance costs. Many investors report inadequate support post-signature, with broken promises of training and marketing. Legal disputes are common over contract breaches and false claims. Hoteliers should seek legal advice and verify costs and network reputation.

🛫 Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris processes 100 million passengers annually, with 30% in transit. Philippe Pascal announced the "Connect France" partnership with Air France to enhance connectivity and economic value. The goal is to transform the airport into a hub reflecting French culture and tourism, encouraging longer stopovers. The aim is to create an infrastructure that promotes French brands and offers a unique, human-scale experience, transitioning from a 3-hour layover to a 3-day stay.

📰 Paris, juillet 2025 – GroupExpression, expert en art de vivre et tourisme, débute une collaboration avec Barceló Hotel Group. Barceló, fondé en 1931 à Majorque, est le deuxième acteur hôtelier espagnol et dans le top 30 mondial, avec plus de 300 hôtels dans 28 pays. La stratégie cible les marchés français, belge et suisse francophone pour renforcer la visibilité de ses établissements aux Baléares, Canaries, Maroc, et Cap-Vert.

🚄 SNCF proposes strategies to potentially halve travel costs. Testing during November 2023 in France revealed savings of up to 50% by booking tickets during promotional periods or using discount cards. Travelers noted success by booking 3 months in advance. The initiative aims to make rail travel more affordable, benefiting approximately 10 million annual passengers. The optimized pricing strategy encourages early bookings and utilization of special offers, enhancing travel accessibility across the country.

🏨 Cet hôtel de 28 chambres fonctionnera jusqu'en novembre 2025 avant rénovation pour rejoindre l'univers Korner. Korner adopte une gestion unique et décentralisée avec des "Hôtes Korner" polyvalents, sans direction traditionnelle, qui assurent plusieurs rôles. Cécile Rosset, cofondatrice, souligne l'importance de leur modèle agile et réplicable. L'hôtel offrira des chambres au design épuré, espaces de coworking, et technologies innovantes pour une meilleure expérience client, comme le check-in sans contact.

📍 Alban Ruggiero, from the hospitality industry, recognized a gap in France's budget hotel market, which lacked innovation. To address this, he founded JOST, aiming to create a hybrid budget hotel brand that appeals to both business travelers and tourists. The concept evolved from hostels, focusing on year-round income, including winter. His strategy emphasizes creating a structured, quality hotel chain in France, targeting a broad market with a unique offering.

📍 Kactus, a key player in corporate event space bookings, has launched a new group accommodation service aimed at simplifying the booking of rooms for companies. This service targets logistical needs during exhibitions, training, and intersite missions. In France, 40% of the 16,610 hotels have over 30 rooms, and 60% of companies with over 50 employees booked group rooms in the past year. Kactus seeks to streamline this process, partnering with hotels lacking event spaces.

🔥 Port-au-Prince, October 2023, witnessed the destruction of the iconic Oloffson Hotel due to gang activities. This historic site, revered for its "gingerbread" architecture, closed since 2022, succumbed to flames. Once a summer presidential palace, hospital, and hotel, it inspired Graham Greene's "The Comedians" and hosted notable figures like Tennessee Williams and Mick Jagger. The hotel, famous for RAM's Thursday night traditional Haitian music, symbolized the cultural heritage now overshadowed by escalating gang violence.