Accor plans to open 100 hotels in Saudi Arabia and Turkey

The tourism sector continues to grow globally due to its contribution to employment and foreign exchange inflow. With the diversification of products and services in the tourism sector, investments in tourism are also increasing. Accor, one of the hospitality groups with more than 40 brands and over 5,500 hotels in 110 countries worldwide, plans to open approximately 100 hotels in Turkey and Saudi Arabia within the next 5 years.

Jean-Baptiste Recher, the Deputy Regional Development Manager for Luxury Brands in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at Accor, stated that they plan to open 50 hotels in Turkey and 50 hotels in Saudi Arabia. He mentioned that they currently operate with 68 hotels in Turkey and have plans to open 14 hotels in the country by the end of 2014.

Highlighting that tourism is not a new market in Turkey, but it is a new sector in Saudi Arabia, Recher explained, "Turkey and Saudi Arabia are very different locations. We are making very good and fast investments in Turkey, which has been an existing country for centuries. Saudi Arabia is undergoing new developments, but Turkey is a country that has been around for centuries. Tourism is not new to this country, but tourism is a very new sector in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the incentives of countries and governments always stimulate and encourage investors, but these are different scenarios."

Recher also emphasized that Turkey is in competition with other destinations and believes that the luxury and lifestyle brands in their portfolio will position Turkey more effectively on the map in this competition, considering Turkey as a significant market for both business and leisure.

Regarding Accor Group's investment strategies in Turkey, Recher stated, "It is an important and seriously growing market for Accor Group. We continue our investment strategies in Turkey because we see this potential." He mentioned that for Accor Group, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco (Fas), and Turkey are important destinations in the Middle East, Africa, and the global market.

Recher highlighted the prominence of Accor Group's hotel and residence projects, especially with their mixed-use projects. He mentioned the "Accor one Living" platform, which represents the group's global vision and strategy. Recher pointed out the importance of attracting globally branded residences to the right locations, with a focus on international markets and strong destinations like Istanbul.

Speaking about the success of the all-inclusive system in Turkey, Recher noted, "The all-inclusive system has been very successful in Turkey, especially with Rixos Antalya, which has truly positioned itself differently on the map in Turkey. We have applied the experience, culture, and knowledge we learned from Rixos to our brands worldwide. Although the investment costs are high, the revenues are equally high. This system is a profitable business model for investors."