Accor CEO: Geopolitical Turmoil Isn’t Killing Travel, But Companies Need Agility

Accor group chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin has urged hotel operators to hold their nerve as geopolitical instability reshapes travel demand.

Speaking at IHIF in Berlin this week, Bazin said a great number of travelers are still booking travel, but doing so closer to departure dates and with less certainty. That shift is forcing hotel groups to adapt without changing long-term strategy.

“We all know this — the customer base of Accor today, 60% of them decide within 12 days [of departure date],” Bazin said.

Although the Iran war is closing airspace over the Middle East and reducing traveler demand, rather than canceling trips altogether, travelers are choosing other locations. 

“They no longer go to Dubai. They don’t go to the GCC, but… they’re going to Sharm E