Accor push banks on tourism recovery

The 'Accor Hotels destinations' campaign will be print-led, running in local and regional consumer publications and in the International Herald Tribune, highlighting how the group has been expanding across Asia in anticipation of a revival of the Asian travel industry. The promotion targets Asian destinations and will offer various packages, such as US$89 per night at the Sofitel Silom Bangkok. Ray Stone, senior vice-president of sales and marketing, Accor Asia-Pacific, said that Accor's key differentiating asset was the variety of accommodation, including five-star and economy hotels in different areas. The Accor group has hotels in over 90 countries, under brands which include Novotel, Sofitel, Mercure, Century, All Seasons and Ibis. The campaign is being launched as the travel industry improves; however, Accor remains highly aware of its potential volatility. "For Accor, we are seeing a return to a pre-Sars level of occupancy with our Asian hotel network (100 hotels) performing better than expected," said Tom Racette, manager of PR and communications, Accor Asia. "While this is encouraging, the last few years have shown this can change in a moment. And if there is an event in coming months, Accor destinations will allow us to shift attention to a particular country, region or group of hotels." Visa International is the exclusive credit card partner, offering cardholders extra benefits such as an extra night's accommodation in Bangkok for a two-night stay or 10 per cent discount on a package to Vietnam.