IHG and Accor Leaders See Short-Term Virus Response Fueling Longer-Term European Hotel Strategies

Two of the world's biggest hotel groups are unfazed by the expected downturn in international travel: this will be a "unique" summer for Europe. Despite the fact 40 countries are starting to reopen at different rates across Europe, both IHG and Accor claim they have clear recovery strategies. "It is a very interesting time," admitted Karin Sheppard, IHG senior vice president and managing director, Europe at IHG, "particularly when it comes to predicting how recovery will shape." But speaking at Skift Forum Europe on Tuesday, she said IHG had identified fundamentals that will play out, including how domestic recovery will come before international, in light of governments encouraging travelers to travel at home. "We’re all watching the early indicators. Look at the online searches, people are searching domestically first," she told to Skift Hospitality Editor Cameron Sperance. "A good example is Poland. Gdansk had healthy occupancy levels over the weekend. We’re all disc