This title, borrowed from a famous Georges, may seem a little presumptuous, but on second thought, it corresponds to an impression widely shared by those who took part in this Hospitality Day. Hospitality Day is first and foremost an ambition: to bring together, for a whole day in Paris, the major players in the hotel ecosystem around three complementary events.

The first, the Hospitality Asset Forum, was sold out long before it started. It responds to a long-standing need to bring private and institutional investors face to face with the operators of the establishments that make up the offer in all its dimensions.

The reports on the various sessions should reassure investors. They have chosen a buoyant asset class in an economic climate where other real estate sectors are suffering, sometimes cruelly. The poor relation has become a dynamic and coveted asset. The Forum was an opportunity to demonstrate the expertise developed by investors, the nature of the ties that bind them to managers, and the growing diversity of market "products".

This expertise is recognized worldwide. Not only are foreign investors watching the performance of the French and European markets with interest, but the French hotel real estate ecosystem is also active on the international scene.

The second event is designed to encourage the development of this expertise and the imagination that must underpin it. Through the Young Talents Awards, we challenged the younger generation, those who are still in hotel management schools and about to embark on their careers. Some fifty teams, from Paris to Cape Town, from Cergy to Dubai, from Montreal to Marbella, from Switzerland to Poland, responded with original proposals to five challenges put forward by hotel groups.

While not all the entries were usable, many surprised the professionals with their "out of the box" approach, to the point of inviting the finalists and winners to take their demonstrations a step further.

When observers of the national education system consider that the level of study is deteriorating, that student interest is dispersing, it is pleasing to see that those who have chosen hotel management are bucking this trend.

These new generations are the bearers of innovation, which is our industry's most powerful driving force.

Innovation and exemplarity were widely discussed at the Hospitality Awards ceremony. Once again, for over twenty years, the Awards finalists who took to the stage demonstrated that Hospitality, as an industry, is ahead of many other sectors on major issues such as sustainability, social responsibility, talent management, marketing and technology.
In one way or another, the hundreds of dossiers we receive every year are a source of inspiration for anyone who pays attention. They testify to the dynamism of our industry and the mission it has set itself.

In a world full of anxiety and lacking in perspective, where one natural disaster, armed conflict or ideological confrontation follows another, Hospitality provides a collective response: freeing travelers from their stress and creating the conditions for a great experience. It also makes a positive contribution to improving the lives of the communities and employees who work there, and of course the customers we welcome every day.

So, yes, let's take a little collective pride in what's already been achieved, and in what's in the pipeline, and what better place to see the progress than at Hospitality Day. Make a note of our next dates! May 29 and November 28, 2024.

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