The STA Podcast ft Paul Stevens

“We plan to double our hotels in Saudi,” says Accor's regional COO of Premium, Midscale & Economy

In the latest episode of the Saudi Tourism Authority Podcast, produced by Connecting Travel, Paul Stevens, COO, Middle East, Africa & Türkiye for the Premium, Midscale & Economy division at Accor, talks to Sarah Hedley Hymers about how increasing demand for hotel rooms across Saudi is driving Accor’s rapid expansion.

With the largest brand portfolio in the hotel industry, including Movenpick, Swissotel, Novotel and IBIS, Accor currently operates 45 hotels across Saudi Arabia, with plans to open a further 41 properties in the kingdom in the next four years.

The focus for Accor is on developing premium, luxury and lifestyle products, but also on midscale and economy hotels across the country, and not just within the major cities.

While the halo effect of entering a market with luxury hotels is an effective strategy, Stevens points out that around 90% of the global market books mid-range hotels and that they're essential to a destination increasing its inbound tourism numbers.

“We are seeing huge demand that has grown since 2019 when leisure guests were formally welcomed for the first time,” says Stevens, who oversees more than 200 hotels across 11 brands.

“We plan to double the number of hotels in Saudi Arabia in the next four years. We’re focusing not just on bigger projects in Riyadh and Jeddah, but in other locations, too. The reality is we need rooms in other locations to drive business elsewhere.”

Stevens says he clearly sees the future of Saudi Arabia’s second- and third-tier destinations.

“If you want to get people travelling, you get them out of the main regions and experiencing the true Saudi Arabia… and you need to have an offering that’s appropriate. That’s where Accor comes in. That’s been our story in Saudi for years now.”

To facilitate such growth, Stevens estimates Accor will need to hire up to 6,000 people in the next five years and has been working with the Ministry of Tourism to develop a programme of Saudisation that’s currently in its pilot stage.

Find out more about Accor’s expansion strategy in Saudi Arabia by tuning into The STA Podcast today.

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