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🎮 By 2025, a Skyscanner study reveals 41% of French travelers are influenced by video game sceneries when booking trips. Events like GamesCon in Cologne saw a 508% increase in flight searches for its August 2024 event, while TwitchCon in San Diego witnessed a 167% rise in September. Additionally, hotel bookings with game consoles jumped 10% in June 2024. In 2023, the Play! Pokémon program attracted over 1.9 million participants, and upcoming Pokémon World Championships in Anaheim and San Francisco are expected to draw global attention. The gaming trend includes a diverse audience, with 47% of UK gamers being women.

📝 Marriott International announced the launch of "Connect Responsibly with Marriott Bonvoy Events," aimed at helping meeting organizers integrate sustainability into their events. The program offers Meeting Impact Reports to measure environmental impact and options to purchase carbon credits. It is expected to be implemented globally in participating managed and franchised establishments by the end of October. Erika Alexander, Chief Global Officer, Global Operations at Marriott, highlights the focus on creating a resilient future for travel.

💸 Uber examines acquisition of travel platform Expedia to diversify and aim for a super-app status. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, former Expedia CEO, retains ties with Expedia's executive chairman Barry Diller. No official statement on the potential buyout has been made, but rumors are impacting the stock market. Uber, since Khosrowshahi's 2017 CEO appointment, has pursued diversifying services, including flight and boat booking tests, public transport ticket purchases, and launching Uber Travel in 2023 to integrate travel details via messaging. The Expedia deal would be Uber's largest financial operation to date, potentially adding accommodation, flights, car rentals, and activities to its platform.

🏨 WiZiU, managing hotels in France and Belgium, will handle 24 hotels with 3,090 rooms valued at over €520 million by year-end. Aiming to reposition these establishments through brand changes and targeted investments, WiZiU plans to unify its 1,000 employees by end of 2024 under a shared identity reflecting its culture and HR commitments. Estelle Seguin, with over 20 years in hotel development, has been appointed as the new General Manager of WiZiU.

🏅 Summer 2024 in France marked by the Olympic Games, with a focus on maintaining and capitalizing on the enthusiasm generated. Article updated on October 22, 2024, originally published on October 17, 2024.

🌎 Nearly 280 participants gathered on October 10 and 11, 2024, at the Grand Site de France Puy Mary - Volcan du Cantal for the 26th Rencontres du Réseau des Grands Sites de France, focusing on sustainable mobility in heritage landscapes. Louis Villaret, President of the Réseau des Grands Sites de France, highlighted ecomobility as a core issue, emphasizing the need for transport sobriety and decarbonization amidst climate change, and meeting visitors' expectations for gentler, more immersive tourism experiences.

💰 Gallup reports a fully engaged customer generates 23% more revenue, with a potential 66% sales increase and over 10% net profit rise from improved engagement. Employing a customer-centric marketing strategy is key for effective customer engagement. Leroy Merlin's custom-oriented brand strategy, transformed their website into a platform fostering active client engagement through personalized offers and a loyalty card scheme. Bain & Company research indicates a 5% retention rate hike can boost profits by 25-95% across sectors.

🏖 58% of French people enjoy vacationing while others work, with 60% of 25-34 year-olds finding synchronized holiday returns stressful, according to a lastminute.com study. This trend of 'counter-current' holidays offers tranquility, attractive prices, and disconnection, with 75% of young adults relishing vacations during off-peak times as a privilege and a break from collective habits.

🏨 IHG Hotels & Resorts announced the expansion of the Garner brand across the UK and Europe. Garner, launched in August 2023, targets mid-range hotels, offering high returns for owners and quality experiences for customers. By the first half of 2024, Garner signed 76 properties, with 58 in IHG's European market. Conversions showed record activity, with 41% of global openings and 55% of new signings in the same period related to IHG's revenue-generating platforms and loyalty programs.

🏨 Sylvie Bergeret, expert in the hotel market for over 20 years, assists investors with implementation, feasibility, and repositioning studies. The market is favorable for hotel investments due to resilient transaction levels, even as other asset classes like retail and office real estate face significant challenges. Hotel industry's resilience post-crisis highlights its potential in the current investment landscape.