The leisure sector: Covid’s big beneficiary
It is certainly leisure products and destinations that have shown the most resilience. The great success of the ski resorts, when they were open, and the fine performance of the French coastal destinations are the proof of this. The summer of 2022 looks set to be a very good one, and even better one than 2019, thus confirming the upward trend in leisure products and destinations.
One of the most significant new markers of this is the increased desire to be with family and friends, and to spend quality time together. During the pandemic, this is what everyone will certainly have missed the most. Getting together and sharing experiences with your loved ones, is one of the levers on which the recovery of the Pierre & Vacances - Center Parcs group is based. A recipe that is working so far, as the group's accommodation turnover has surpassed its pre-crisis figure by 7.5% in 2021. We also note, within the large hotel groups, a very strong pipeline on resorts, as is the case with Accor in Southern Europe.
This leisure wave is also permeating the offer dedicated to corporate clients. We are moving from a traditionally very standardised offer to a change in experience markers that tends towards leisure-oriented products and services. Conversely, players who traditionally target leisure customers, such as Belambra, are increasingly positioning themselves towards corporate customers, offering an all-inclusive experience ranging from overnight stays to entertainment. We are thus witnessing a hybridisation of practices in the segments between leisure and business which naturally necessitates a hybridisation of products.
Products that are purely designed and conceived for a leisure clientele, such as Rocky Pop, are now also attracting classic weekday corporate clients who are beginning to favour this type of establishment due to the fun times they can experience there. This change is illustrated in the increase in occupancy rates at weekends.
This hybridisation of expected experiences will also be reflected in the products. The importance of the F&B experience, whatever it may be, is a marker of these new expectations in terms of experience. All these topics will be discussed at length at the Hospitality Operator Forum on 22 June 2022.
Work has also become more modular and tourism professionals now offer their clients the possibility of participating in a remote meeting and many other services to enable them to work in the best conditions.
This trend goes beyond the world of hospitality and tourism. In the real estate development model, we now see that service has become very important. In housing, for example, with coliving and serviced residences. These are all diversification opportunities for hospitality service professionals. The impact is even more visible in the Casa Barbara project, which brings together the Trigano family and Korian to provide residences for seniors. The Mama Shelter hospitality touch is clearly visible with catering as well as entertainment and wellness areas. The reverse is also true, as evidenced by the launch of ELLE Hospitality, a media player which, after developing several franchises, is now moving into the hotel product.
In this way, we reconnect with the very essence of our profession, which is to create moments of conviviality as well as functional and comfortable spaces whether it be for families, groups of friends, couples or business trips.