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💰 IHG Hotels & Resorts revamps strategy for its four upper-midscale brands in China: Atwell Suites, EVEN Hotels, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn Express, targeting a market segment expected to double in size over the next decade. Kent Sun, Chief Development Officer at IHG Greater China, emphasizes the need for agile, profitable, and low-risk investment models. IHG's repositioning aims to offer localized lifestyle experiences, well-being and life balance, community-focused spaces, efficient and rejuvenating stays, combining premium quality, investment flexibility, and competitive returns.

🏖 Over 16 million overnight stays are expected in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region during the four weeks of spring holidays, accounting for 7% of the annual tourist attendance. In 2024, all three academic zones will be on holiday during the Easter weekend (April 19-21), anticipating an increase in attendance. Hotel bookings are ahead with an occupancy rate surpassing 68% from spring 2024, while seasonal rentals see an 18% surge. Tourism is critical for the region, with €21 billion in economic returns annually, constituting 13% of its GDP, supporting 150,000 jobs, and involving 25,000 businesses.

🍟 Snack Show 2025 attracted 14,650 visitors, confirming its status as a key event for fast food professionals. The show featured a new hall with increased capacity and comfort, over 360 exhibitors, and introduced innovations like a new conference zone, The Italian Show event, a dedicated tech space, and new competitions. This pivotal event marks the success and future direction of the snacking sector, fostering exchanges and discoveries.

🏦 Damien Buisson, with over 25 years of experience in hospitality, joins the executive team of SOHOMA to support its strategic and operational development. A graduate of EM Normandie, Université Paris Dauphine, and ESSEC Executive Education, Buisson started at Accor, advancing from marketing analyst to web marketing manager, overseeing the strategy of the group's economy brands. Later, he held marketing director roles at Adagio (Accor and Pierre & Vacances joint venture) and Pierre & Vacances City. At AccorHotels, he managed operations for ibis, hotelF1, Novotel, Mercure, and directed marketing and customer experience for Southern Europe, leading 240 low-cost hotels and Thalassa Sea & Spa. In 2021, he enhanced his expertise in hotel investment at Atream, gaining knowledge in private equity, tourist asset management, and hotel investments. Buisson's move to SOHOMA aims to structure and boost the company's growth.

💾 SuiteOp, a New York-based startup, raised €2.7 million (about $3 million) in a seed funding round led by ScOp Venture Capital with participation from Dream Capital and an unnamed European private fund. Founded in 2022, the company, which provides an AI-powered platform for automating client experiences and hotel operations, experienced a 15% month-over-month growth throughout 2024. The new funds will be invested in enhancing the predictive AI capabilities to foresee operational issues in the hospitality industry.

🏂 Annual mountain visitation in France remained stable compared to the previous year, with variations due to the school holiday calendar. The second week saw high dynamics as zones B and C overlapped, while zone A experienced quieter slopes in the last week. International visitors increased slightly (+0.3%), with British (-0.3%), Belgian (-3.9%), and Dutch (+4.2%) tourists leading, followed by Scandinavian (+7.2%) and German (+2.8%) guests. Favorable weather and good snow conditions contributed to the positive attendance during the winter holidays. Despite some imperfections, Jean-Luc Boch, President of ANMSM, emphasized the importance of maintaining the four-week winter holiday period to manage station access and avoid overcrowding. The Alps and Pyrenees, among France's many mountain ranges, saw the most tourists but recorded up to a -3.6 point drop in occupancy rates.

📈 Trevor Ward annually reviews hotel development across Africa, noting a 13.3% increase to 577 hotels and 104,444 rooms in the pipeline. Egypt leads with 143 hotels and about 34,000 rooms, quadruple Morocco in second place. Cairo alone anticipates over 17,700 rooms. The project realization rate jumped from 21% to 38% in one year, with over 50,000 rooms expected to open by 2025 and 2026. North Africa, especially Egypt, saw a 23% year-on-year growth, outpacing Sub-Saharan Africa's 6%.

🏖 The tourism sector's increasing digitalization and competition necessitate that establishments double efforts to attract and retain travelers. Effective marketing strategies are vital for boosting visibility, filling schedules year-round, and providing memorable experiences. The article outlines 5 effective marketing strategies for tourism businesses, including collecting and analyzing customer feedback, managing online presence, using social media, optimizing local SEO, and leveraging Google Business Profile. Guest Suite offers a solution to centralize marketing actions and automate tasks like managing and collecting reviews to improve local SEO and increase bookings.

💸 Hôtel Le Bor à Hyères and My Groom Service collaborated on Yield Management strategy. Hotel director Pauline Lombardot described initial complications and the need for staff adaptability, with My Groom Service providing training and patience. The strategy aimed to optimize pricing and demand, with the goal of increasing profitability and freeing up valuable time for hoteliers.

🏖️ The 48th Salon Mondial du Tourisme held from March 13-16, 2025, at Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles, saw a visitor increase of +2% compared to 2024, confirming its status as France's leading travel event. It featured trends such as train travel, accessibility, solo trips, and ecotourism. The event was inaugurated by Nathalie Delattre, Minister in charge of Tourism, on March 13.