The lobby at NH Hotel Group ' s flagship property , Hotel NH Collection Madrid
Eurobuilding
EuropE to sEE positivE , but slowing , growth .
by Brittany FarB GruBer , associate editor
Located in the city center , Italy ' s Starhotels Splendid Venice is part of the growing Starhotels Collezione , the group ' s luxury hotel collection .
Spain . " Spain is one of the world ’ s leading tourist destinations . In 2015 , Spain received more than 68 million tourists , and the current year will repeat unprecedented records in the number of visiting tourists and also total revenues ," says Rovira , who predicts Spain will exceed 70 million foreign visitors in 2016 . " In the first seven months of 2016 , the number of tourists visiting Spain rose 11.1 % to 42.4 million , a new record for that period ." A similar consensus of prosperity prevails in Italy . “ The tourism sector is growing and international investors are looking to Italy with renewed interest ,” says Starhotels President and CEO Elisabetta Fabri . According to the STR Global European Hotel Industry trends report , the main Italian markets in the upper upscale end for Q2 2016 are Venice , with ADR up 10 % to € 255.96 ( US $ 245.73 ), Naples with ADR up 7.9 % to € 111.54
( US $ 121.34 ), Florence with ADR up 5 % to € 133.06 ( US $ 144.70 ), and Rome with ADR up 2 % to € 123.19 ADR ( US $ 133.97 ).
Independent hotels have also been dominant in Italy , Fabri says . “ The absence of large international companies in the area is connected to Italy ’ s DNA , which has always been family-driven ,” she says . “ The hotel industry is by nature a sector deeply attached to the land and therefore reflective of the characteristics of the destination . Additionally , hospitality in Italy has historically been a family business , so local institutions also work hard to protect , maintain and respect this indigenous identity .”
Fear in France Following terrorist attacks in Paris and Nice , the French hotel market has faced numerous challenges over the past year . However , Joel Guiraud , chief operating officer at Louvre Hotels Group , says the country still shows immense promise .
“ France remains the number one destination in the world ,” Guiraud says . “ So even if we suffer from this type of situation , our country remains very attractive and concurrency is still very strong with every international operator . As evidenced by the interest of foreign groups , France , despite the elements , holds a strategic position for world tourism ."
Guirard adds that development in France is " continuous work " and says innovation is especially important to remain competitive among leisure and business travelers . " These dramatic events trigger our self-questioning to renew what we offer . The digital revolution presents huge opportunity to innovate and differentiate our offerings . That ’ s why I am pretty serene about our future and our ability to face these tragic events ."
December 2016 hotelsmag . com 29