Since the pandemic, the Accor group's Northern Europe division has made a habit of bringing together its key account clients at the Masters of Travel event. This was a way of taking the pulse of developments in the still faltering business travel sector, with participants from a wide range of sectors, including Germany, the UK, Sweden and Poland.
Today, the French hotelier is going a step further by launching an international advisory council to redefine business travel and meetings: the Global Leadership Council (GLC). According to Accor, the aim of this think-tank is to " learn valuable lessons that will help define actionable strategies to stimulate and transform business travel worldwide" .
The council brings together the group's management and business travel managers and buyers from 17 multinationals representing a range of sectors including financial services, engineering, manufacturing, transport, energy, professional services and technology. Together, they account for more than 2.7 million business travellers. " The GLC is an essential forum for sharing ideas and experiences. work together to develop solutions meeting the evolving needs of business travellers and its members" commented Sophie HulgardAccor Sales Director and coordinator of the GLC.
This advisory board met for the first time at the beginning of June in Paris, with discussions centred on the changing expectations of businesses and passengers, and the need to improve the quality of service. rising travel trendsthe growing interest in sustainable development and the role of "sustainable development". significant "It was also an opportunity for Accor to highlight its strengths. The meeting also provided Accor with an opportunity to highlight its strengths, including its B2B loyalty programme and the Sofitel brand, host of the event.
Although the French group is due to publish a more detailed report later in the year, all the members of the board agreed on the three main priorities for business travel in their eyes. First and foremost the traveller experiencethrough good communication between the employees of client companies and Accor, digital efficiency as well as their well-being and safety. Unsurprisingly, the other two priorities are cost management and optimisation - through compliance with programmes and pricing conditions and expense prevention - and CSR, including reducing CO2 emissions, sustainable initiatives, diversity and inclusion.
" Business travel is undergoing a profound transformationsays Karelle Lamouche, Managing Director of Accor's Premium, Midscale & Economy division. Today's business travellers are looking for more than just efficiency and comfort: they prefer eco-responsibility, personalised experiences and a harmonious integration of technologies." .
