Skift Take
Accor’s strategic interest in India is driven by the country’s demographic potential, significant supply-demand gap in branded hotel rooms, and improving travel infrastructure.
“India is a country we're very interested in,” Sebastien Bazin, the group chairman and CEO of Accor, said during the company’s earnings call Friday.
Despite the potential, Accor’s India business currently accounts for just 2% of the company's global operations and Bazin revealed an intent to revamp the strategy. “We'll be working on domestic travel in India, but we're going to have to revise our methods," he said. "We hope to have something to announce later on in this year."
Bazin highlighted the challenges, noting the six-year average time required to open a hotel due to complex regulatory requirements. It takes three years in Europe and just two in the U.S.
Accor currently operates 62 hotels in India across four segments: luxury, premium, mid-range, and