Inside Accor’s View of the Eastward Shift Reshaping How Hotels Grow and Compete

Global hospitality is tilting decisively toward the East. Rising incomes, booming urban centers, and ambitious national strategies are reshaping where and how people travel. Jean-Jacques Morin, Deputy CEO of Accor, believes this moment belongs to a region defining new standards in scale, creativity, and purpose. 

Ahead of his appearance at Skift Global Forum East, he shares how Accor is navigating this transformation, anchored in experience, enabled by technology, and powered by people.

What geographies do you think are the future of travel and how can regions like the Middle East lead the Shift?

“The travel industry’s gravity center is definitely moving eastward, underpinned by powerful demographics and economic shifts. We are seeing an unprecedented rise in the global middle class, with a projected 1.3 billion new consumers by 2030, overwhelmingly concentrated in Asia, notably India and China.”

“This isn’t just a projection; it’s a reality we are experiencing at Accor, where our pipeline reflects this pivot. The Middle East represents 30% of our current pipeline, China is 40%. Our recent partnership with InterGlobe in India illustrates our ambition to capture India’s booming hospitality market, with a target of 300 hotels by 2030.

The Middle East is already a major leader in this transformation. Capitalizing on its unique landscapes, strong cultural identity, iconic monuments and its hub cities and airport infrastructures, the region is ideally positioned to welcome leisure, business and cultural tourism. By the end of 2024, travel and tourism contributed 11.4% to the GCC GDP. That figure is projected to further rise in 2025 as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their neighbours accelerate landmark projects under Vision 2030 and UAE Tourism Strategy 2031.

Our recent strategic partnership with BinDawood Investment, involving a 3,000-key development in the Middle East, directly supports the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s visionary tourism goals.

More broadly, for any emerging destination looking to develop in a sustainable fashion, some factors are non-negotiable:
• establish a stable fiscal and social environment
• implement long-term investment programs
• make commitments to education and vocational training within the hospitality sector.

While we are well-positioned to welcome the next waves of increasingly numerous travelers in the East, we are maintaining leadership in Europe. Our deep knowledge of the region is unmatched to explore new frontiers.”

How do you think about the growth of experiences over things – and how is that changing your business?

“We are indeed observing this societal trend of people spending more on experiences – it is becoming the industry’s new standard. We observe this trend vividly in the booming sectors of sports tourism, projected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2032, and live events tourism, whose significant economic impact was clearly demonstrated by Taylor Swift’s world tour or Bad Bunny’s concerts in Puerto Rico.

Hospitality now transcends merely a place to sleep; it’s about how the entire travel experience aligns with personal aspirations and deeper needs. These shifts directly impact the way we develop. At Accor, our strategic focus on experiences and personalization, what we encapsulate under ‘Augmented Hospitality,’ is a philosophy we have cultivated for years.”

How are you staying ahead of traveler expectations as they evolve rapidly?

“You can only improve what you can measure: strategically, this means we prioritize the continuous monitoring of our guests’ evolving needs to ensure our brand offerings remain highly relevant and competitive.

Our approach is underpinned by a robust technological backbone that allows us to analyze millions of guest feedback points. This data-driven insight directly informs our strategic decisions: we exit underperforming properties, refine brand standards, conceptualize innovative offerings, and reinforce our service attitude.”

How are you thinking about the future of talent in travel, especially as tech reshapes roles?

“The travel and tourism sector is a global economic powerhouse, contributing 10% to global GDP and supporting 10% of worldwide employment. Effectively attracting and retaining the next generation of professionals has always been a strategic imperative. 

It is and will remain a powerful vector of social mobility: Accor hires over 120,000 people each year, with two thirds having no academic background, and provides 6 million hours of training via our Academy in 2023.

But AI will serve as an enabler, augmenting rather than replacing the human element that defines hospitality: the genuine connection and ability to make guests feel at home. 

Accor’s Purpose, ‘Pioneering the art of responsible hospitality, connecting cultures, with heartfelt care,’ is grounded in the understanding that effective and sustainable hospitality is built on people. 

Offering comprehensive training in the art of hospitality, nurturing the human skills technology cannot replicate, is essential. Hoteliers and governments must collaboratively elevate our industry’s perception and value.“

Continue the Conversation in Abu Dhabi

For Jean-Jacques Morin, the East’s rise in travel is both an economic reality and a creative rebirth for global hospitality. Success will depend on connecting innovation with human intention, using technology to understand guests better and talent to serve them more meaningfully.

He will join global leaders at Skift Global Forum East, 29-30 October, in Abu Dhabi, to explore how this balance of purpose, intelligence, and growth is shaping the next chapter of the industry.

Watch Jean-Jacques Morin at Skift Future of Lodging Forum 2023