This year, we wanted to place the 30th edition of the Hospitality Operator Forum under the banner of transformation, and we’ve just seen a brilliant example of how it is being carried out with Federico Gonzales Tejera.
This transformation is driven by people. I believe this was also the message Vanguélis Panayotis wanted to convey in his introduction. But the natural question that follows is: what do we do next?
This is where data can now help us. But to understand how it can help, we must first assess the current state of affairs, and we are going to examine together how we can push the diagnosis further in order to make the right decisions and prepare for the next 30 years.
Heterogeneous dynamics in Europe
We are more or less in the same situation as last year, particularly in terms of market dynamics. At the European level, two distinct trends are emerging.
On one hand, Southern Europe and Central and Eastern Europe remain growth drivers, with countries like Spain performing exceptionally well over a prolonged period. Eastern European countries are also regaining strength.
On the other hand, core Europe is experiencing moderate but positive growth, with the exception of the UK at the beginning of the year.
To understand where we are heading, it’s important to know where we stand today. Comparing this past May to May 2019, countries like Italy, Spain, and Greece are between 50% and 60% above pre-Covid topline standards.
This is excellent news, giving us room to work on profitability and expand our offering, thus implementing CAPEX plans with investors who believe in the product.
We know Southern Europe has long been a growth engine, but it has recently been joined by Central and Eastern European countries, albeit with different contexts. For instance, Poland has…
