The French chain projects 20% growth in 2025, driven by Brazilian tourism and reactivation of the Argentine market.
According to Diario Financiero, 2024 was a record year for Accor, a French hotel chain that manages brands including Ibis, Pullman, Novotel and Mercure.
With revenue up 12% in the third quarter, the chain opened some 8,000 rooms and reported results totaling US$1.14 billion globally. In the Americas, it recorded 12% growth and expects to grow approximately 20% in Chile this year.
According to Mauro Rial, Accor’s COO of premium, midscale and economy units for the Americas (except Brazil), projections for the coming year are more than auspicious, as the different countries are seeing strong recovery to pre-Covid-19 occupancy levels.
«The corporate segment and leisure and in-transit travelers are very important to us. Group travel is also quite robust,» he said.
Peru, for example, stood out as one of the fastest-growing markets at 60%-70%. The rate of comparison was low since the country had not yet recovered its pre-pandemic volume.
«Chile was already experiencing a more robust recovery relative to pre-pandemic figures and continues to record great double-digit growth rates. We are seeing good prospects for 2025, around 20%,» he emphasized. In Chile, in particular, he projected high growth in regional travel.
«Brazil’s entry as a major market has been significant. Chile is performing well in destination promotion; its significant efforts in Brazil have borne fruit. Thanks to the snow, we have had a great season, and we hope next year will bring another good winter season,» said Rial.
The executive said they are «starting to see Argentine tourism return to Chile. Argentina is beginning to normalize a little in terms of prices, bringing Argentine tourists back to Chile after 3 or 4 years of absence.»
Mr. Rial remarked that Chile has everything it needs to grow as a travel destination: «We have been seeing certain trends, like wellness and connecting with nature, that really picked up in the wake of the pandemic. Chile is a very desirable destination in that sense, thanks to the magnetic attraction of its natural splendor in the mountains, Patagonia and the Atacama Desert.»
He pointed out that the country remains one of the region’s safest travel destinations. «Chile continues to be the safest country in the region,» he assured. «This is a point Chile should continue to work on (...) Travelers consider the destination’s safety when considering leisure or business travel. When large corporations have to move an executive, they take safety into account and sometimes even take additional measures,» he explained. Mr. Rial also foresees a recovery in the corporate segment.
«The real estate business has slowed due to the macroeconomic context, high interest rates and inflation. There are practically no new projects under development. However, I am hearing about some mining projects being relaunched and approved. We expect that will continue contributing to corporate tourism,» he said.
Rial said rising costs in Chile have posed a significant challenge for Accor. «The hotel industry is very labor-intensive. Cost increases in the form of a minimum wage increase or a reduction in working hours present a challenge. Energy costs also rose significantly.»
Openings in Chile
Looking ahead to 2025, the Accor executive reported no planned openings in Chile. «The hotel segment has been quite stable in Chile. Prices are beginning to normalize a little in Argentina, so Argentine tourists, absent for the last 3 to 4 years, are returning to Chile.»
«We have several negotiations underway for some greenfield hotels and conversions,» Rial said, recalling that Accor had converted the former Atton hotels into one of the conglomerate’s brands.
«We are putting great effort into the market of independent hotels or local brands that need support from an international brand. We have quite a few parties expressing interest,» he said.
These hotels can operate under a model where Accor administers, manages and operates the hotel or under a franchise model where the former owners continue to operate under the global parameters of the French chain.
Accor has 26 hotels in Chile, primarily in Santiago but also in other regions of the country, including northern Chile’s mining areas and leisure areas frequented by locals and Argentines.
Regionally, the chain plans to open ten hotels in Brazil and an Ibis in Puerto San Martín, Argentina this year.
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