Le premier magazine international entre les Emirats arabes unis et la France, notamment entre Abu Dhabi, Dubaï et Paris.
October 2021 By Jérôme Lamy
Marc Descrozaille, a global hospitality expert and Accor Group Operations Director for India, the Middle East and Africa, celebrates the state of tourism in Dubai. Marc Descrozaille se félicite de la situation du tourisme à Dubaï.
It’s said that opposites attract. But similarity also engenders attraction. Marc Descrozaille, director of Operations ACCOR for India, the Middle East and Africa, embodies a new family of leaders with an assumed humanity. A new generation of leaders who do not base their success on balance sheets alone, but rather on their response to social issues, respect for sustainable development and the well-being of their employees.
And the standard-bearer for these unparalleled decision-makers is without question Sébastien BazinAccor's CEO, who has shown immense generosity to his employees and health care workers during the health crisis. It was therefore normal that
Sébastien Bazin crosses paths with Marc Descrozaille. There is no chance, never.
Born in Montreuil, the young Marc harboured professional culinary ambitions as an outlet for his creativity. But an openness to the world and thirst for human contact were too strong. He became a brilliant graduate of the prestigious hotel school at Lausanne. It was at the legendary Claridge's in Mayfair, in Central London, that his career began in earnest and at the Hotel Hilton de Roissy Charles De Gaulle - after an MBA funded by ESSEC - he donned his first General Manager’s suit.
Marc Descrozaille is a quick mover. His talent seems present in his gestures which harmonise empathy, elegance, and benevolence. He landed in Dubaïin 2010 and took control of the Hilton brand in the Middle East and Africa before establishing the Radisson brand in Africa. In 2018, he returned to the United Arab Emirates as the Head of Mövenpick. The acquisition of the Swiss brand by the ACCOR group opened the French hotel giant’s doors to the 210 hotels for which it is responsible between India, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.
Meeting with one of the world’s leading tourism companies.
What is the state of health of the Accor Group in the Middle East in general and in Dubai in particular?
Company health is very good in terms of our objectives and the outlook across the rest of the world, particularly in Asia or Europe. The United Arab Emirates has taken all the necessary measures to maintain economic activity. When the world was looking for masks, there were millions of masks in Dubai. The vaccination rate became remarkable very quickly. Around the world, customers have even more confidence in Dubai, where life has almost been normal throughout. Restaurants, beaches, shopping malls have almost always stayed open. In fact, the international image of Dubai has even been reinforced by the crisis.
Have you always been optimistic about the Covid-19 pandemic, or have you had moments of doubt?
Basically, I am optimistic, and I know that at the end of the tunnel we see will the light. But if I said I never had any doubts, I would be lying. Our economy is built on two pillars: travelling and sharing time together. Those are the two pillars that were transmitting the virus. Of course, there was concern when we were forced to close some establishments. We have worked hard to support our employees and partners.
If we say that the health crisis will profoundly change your profession, especially business tourism, do you agree?
There is a question about business tourism and conferences. If we take the example of Dubai, the indicators are very encouraging and reassuring. But what is true in Dubai might not be elsewhere in the world. On the positive side, our customers have an unparalleled thirst for travel. Also, they spend a great part of their budget on leisure. It is up to us to offer even more experiences to satisfy these yearnings. Remote working is also a new consideration. And some employees don’t hesitate to extend their weekend by working next to a beach or pool. It is a source of income that’s not preprogramed.
Is the pandemic inviting you to reach out even more to local customers, those who do not live in your hotels but live close to them?
This is one of Sebastien Bazin’s permanent concerns. Our hotels cannot only be places where we come to sleep and have breakfast. We are looking at how to make our restaurants sexier than our competitors? How to design strong renovation concepts around lifestyle? In Dubai, 25 Hours Hotel and its Monkey bar are brands with strong positioning. SLS is also a very interesting brand with Fi'lia, the first restaurant run exclusively by women. Having meaning and interest in the local clientele is a desire that animates us. And enables us to survive in times of crisis.
What are the United Arab Emirates' leading issuer markets?
Saudi Arabia, England, Russia and France are the most important markets.
What are the Accor Group’s projects in the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East?
We are currently signing up many hotels in Saudi Arabia with the ambition for it to be a welcoming tourist-hotspot destination by 2030. We continue to develop in the Emirates with seven to ten projects as well as the opening in recent months of significant constructions such as the Raffles Palm, the SLS, the 25 Hours Hotel... We are also looking forward to Ras Al Khaimah where we will soon be opening two major resorts on the beach, with the brands Mövenpick, in 2022 and Sofitel, in 2024.
Is the luxury hotel market sector saturated in Dubai?
The offer of luxury continues to be disproportionate in Dubai. We sense an appetite for luxury with a different angle, a different design, a different spirit. With our new Delano and So brands, we are ready to take on that challenge.
The Qatar World Cup will also be a real challenge…
Yes, and again, we will be there. We are going to open a Fairmont Hotel and a Raffles Hotel at Qatar that will showcase a luxury rather unparalleled in the region. We will also open two major Rixos brands aimed to seduce tourists.
Following the initiative of its President, Sébastien Bazin, the Accor Group had a presence alongside caregivers and the most vulnerable during the health crisis…
Sebastien Bazin’s leadership has been fundamental. To say that he was inspiring is an understatement. Our hotels have often been turned into quarantine facilities. The financial survival of our employees was a real priority. Sebastien Bazin obtained a mandate from the Accor Board of Directors not to disburse dividends and to create a 70 million Euros fund to meet the needs of the most precarious employees especially in India or Africa. We are very proud of this.
