Accor: Egypt is a promising market, and we aim to expand with new brands and set up a specialized hospitality academy
Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Moustafa Madbouly met Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of French hospitality group Accor, in the presence of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, Ambassador Wael Hamed, Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs, and Maud Bailly, CEO of Sofitel, to discuss the group's plans to expand in the Egyptian market and strengthen its investments in tourism and hospitality, as well as to review a number of new investment opportunities the state is offering in the sector.
At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister stressed the Egyptian government's commitment to supporting and strengthening cooperation with Accor, one of the world's largest companies in hotel and tourism facility management and operation, and expressed his hope to see more of the group's hotel brands in the Egyptian market in the coming period.
The Prime Minister noted that Egypt is working to provide more investment opportunities in the tourism sector, especially in areas and destinations with distinctive natural and tourism assets, explaining that these opportunities will be available to companies and investors wishing to expand in the Egyptian market, including Accor. He invited the group's management to continue coordinating with the government to explore these opportunities, stressing the importance of drawing up a joint future plan for expansion and investment.
During the meeting, Accor's chairman expressed his appreciation for meeting the Prime Minister and for the support provided by the Egyptian government, stressing that the group regards Egypt as an important and strategic partner and that the development of the country's destinations, services and tourism product offers great opportunities for expansion.
He said the group sees a big opportunity to bring more of its brands to Egypt, in line with the nature and needs of each destination, revealing that it aims to add around 25,000 new hotel rooms in Egypt over the next 3 years.
He stressed that the group is not simply aiming to increase the number of hotels, but to diversify its hotel products and brands to suit the nature and diversity of Egypt's tourist areas. He noted the importance of expansion being based on authenticity and quality of experience, adding that travelers are no longer looking only at price and location, but for a complete and different experience that reflects the uniqueness and culture of the place.
In this context, he said Egypt has exceptional assets to offer such an experience, noting the importance of incorporating elements of Egyptian culture, crafts, arts, music and local character into the hotel product to enhance Egypt's appeal as a destination.
Sébastien Bazin noted the importance of continuing to develop and renovate the group's existing hotels in Egypt, explaining that maintaining quality requires continuous upgrades, especially in the luxury segment. He affirmed the group's readiness to share the expertise it has gained in global markets with the Egyptian side and draw on its successes in various markets to develop Egyptian hotel and tourism products.
He also pointed to the new projects on which Accor is cooperating with Egyptian developers and investors, reflecting the diversity of the group's investments and its expansion in a number of Egyptian destinations.
Accor's chairman also addressed the important issue of developing and training Egyptian human resources, stressing that expanding hotel investments cannot be separated from investing in people. He proposed cooperating with the Egyptian government to set up a specialized hospitality academy in Egypt, drawing on the group's international expertise in training staff in the tourism and hotel sector, to provide qualified personnel capable of delivering services that meet global standards while reflecting Egyptian culture and identity.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy said Accor's expansion plans in Egypt are closely aligned with the growth rates targeted in the tourism sector, noting that recent inbound tourism data reflects continued growth, underlining the importance of increasing the number of hotel rooms, with a particular focus on high-quality rooms and facilities.
Fathy said Egypt is working to capitalize on the great diversity of its destinations and to market that diversity as one of the main strengths of Egypt as a destination, allowing tourists to combine beach, cultural, leisure, eco and other types of tourism.
He noted that one important focus is offering an authentic Egyptian experience that reflects local culture and identity, stressing that this aspect is valued by tourists and that the ministry continuously monitors visitors' reviews and experiences on global travel platforms.
He also said Egypt will move in the coming phase to increase the supply of luxury hotel products to match rising demand, especially among high-spending travel segments, which has been reflected in occupancy rates, room rates and hotel revenues, enhancing the attractiveness of investment in the hotel sector.
The minister pointed to significant opportunities to increase tourist traffic from the French market, stressing the importance of cooperating with Accor on joint marketing and leveraging its strong presence and the reach of its brands in global markets. He said Egypt aims to use modern marketing tools to reach new segments of tourists and promote Egyptian destinations and tourism products.
He said cooperation between Egypt and Accor could extend to joint marketing, both to promote Egyptian destinations and properties in overseas markets and to use the group's international network to attract more tourists to Egypt.
Concluding his remarks, the minister noted the importance of coordinating with Accor on the new hotel brands it plans to introduce in Egypt, adding that the choice of brand should be linked to the nature of each location and market needs, preserving the strength and distinctiveness of existing brands while capitalizing on the diversity of Egypt as a destination.
The two sides agreed on the importance of continued coordination in the coming period, studying new investment opportunities, plans to develop existing projects and the expansion of hotel brands, as well as exploring cooperation in training and developing the skills of hospitality workers, supporting the Egyptian state's efforts to increase hotel capacity, diversify the tourism product and maximize returns from the tourism sector, according to the official Facebook page of the Egyptian Cabinet.
