Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, August 14, and now here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
26.07.2024 - 22:09 / skift.com / Paris Olympics / Rashaad Jorden / Sarah Kopit
The Skift Travel Podcast is continuing its series on the Paris Olympics. This episode features a discussion with Patrick Mendes, Accor’s CEO for Europe and North Africa. Accor is an official partner for this year’s Games, as well as Europe’s largest hotel group.
Mendes discussed Accor’s preparation for the Paris Olympics and much more — including the company’s restructuring — with Head of Research Seth Borko and Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit.
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Excitement for the Paris Olympics: Mendes, the CEO of Europe and North Africa for Accor, said he was excited about the upcoming Paris Olympics, especially the city’s transformation and readiness to host the games.
Accor’s Role in the Olympics: As a premium partner for the Paris Olympics, Accor will manage the athlete and media villages, an enormous challenge for the company. Mendes said that’s akin to opening 150 hotels simultaneously.
Impact on Tourism and Hospitality: While the Olympics are expected to boost tourism and occupancy rates for Accor hotels, Mendes expressed concern about the event deterring some travelers from coming to the French capital. However, he said he expects the Paris Olympics to have a positive impact on the company.
Accor’s Loyalty Program: The Accor Live Limitless (ALL) program is being leveraged to provide unique Olympic-linked experiences for members, emphasizing the shift towards experiential loyalty programs that offer more than just point accumulation.
Company Restructuring: Accor’s recent restructuring into two divisions — premium mid-scale economy and luxury — has helped the company operate more efficiently.
This week’s episode of the Skift Travel Podcast features Patrick Mendes, Accor’s CEO for Europe and North Africa. Based in Paris, he has overseen Accor’s operations pertaining to this year’s Summer Olympics. Mendes discussed Accor’s extensive preparations, including managing the Athlete and Media Villages, which involves operating 15,000 rooms and recruiting a large staff.
Mendes also addressed concerns about high accommodation prices, noting that most room rates are in line with typical major events. He added that Accor’s loyalty program, Accor Live Limitless, is offering Olympic-themed experiences to its members. In addition, Mendes touched on the company’s recent restructuring into two divisions.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, August 14, and now here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
I’m cheering from the banks of the Seine in a plastic rain poncho, my dress soaked and loafers sloshing. The rain has not let up once during the four-hour Opening Ceremony, but as we watch boatloads of beaming athletes float past us one by one waving their national flags, my smile could not be wider. By the time the evening comes to an end, Celine Dion is belting Hymne a l'amour from a glittering Eiffel Tower—some in the crowd cry, others dance, or FaceTime family—and a contagious sense of universal joy ripples across Paris.
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, departed the island for Paris, France yesterday (August 7) to attend the Olympic Games. While in Paris Minister Bartlett will be instrumental in promoting Jamaica as a premier tourist destination through the Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) Jamaica House initiative.
A test run meant to allow athletes to familiarise themselves with the marathon swimming course in the Seine River was cancelled on Tuesday due to concerns about the quality of the Paris waterway.
When Léon Marchand dives in, France holds its breath.
France knocked out world and pan-American football champions Argentina after winning 1-0 in Bordeaux on Friday, in a heated game that ended with a massive brawl that followed more than ten minutes of stoppage time.
The summer of 2024 is in full swing and visitors are flocking to Europe from around the globe.
Aug 1, 2024 • 5 min read
The arrival of the biggest summer sport events in Paris has led to a surge in hotel occupancy and room rates in the city in hotels using Mews. Occupancy rates for the next two weeks are 20% higher than in 2023, driven by last-minute bookings, which account for 35% of total occupancy during the sporty event. This is according to analysis by Mews, the cloud software for hotels, based on hundreds of Paris properties.
Major sports events attract not only fans but also tourists interested in experiencing the atmosphere and culture of the host city. For example, the Olympic Games or the UEFA Champions League offer the perfect occasion for tourists to explore the host cities while enjoying the sporting excitement. Civitatis, the leading curated online marketplace for guided tours and activities for Spanish and Portuguese-speaking consumers, recommends that tour and activity companies make the most of this growing segment and suggests a few strategies to leverage the rise of sports tourism:
The 2024 Olympics opened in Paris in spectacular style with thousands of athletes sailing along the River Seine past lively performers on bridges, banks and rooftops in an ambitious take on an opening ceremony.
Games wide open! The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics are here—so, expect to hear the roar of that slogan in the weeks again. There’s simply no way to quantify, or perhaps, prepare for, the already-electrifying energy infiltrating the host city and the largest Olympic ceremony ever. Despite the Games’ 300,000 spectator capacity, Paris is expected to receive around 15 million visitors, including 2 million from abroad, in the coming weeks.