Accor Pacific CEO Sarah Derry on the importance of the arts for hospitality

As the hospitality industry continues to recover from the effects of COVID-19, the benefits of the arts have become clearer than ever.

Despite international travel still not returning to 2019 levels, Accor has noted that its hotels directly benefit from cultural events such as concerts, and has brought in partnerships to further foster this trend. 

Our latest AccomNews print issue is available now. Read it HERE

When Elton John’s farewell tour arrived in Brisbane, Accor saw a 38 percent boost to business (when compared to normal days) and Ed Sheeran maxed our Accor Brisbane with a 69 percent increase across three nights.

Accor Pacific CEO Sarah Derry said the data showed the pivotal role that the arts play when it comes to the revitalisation of the hospitality industry.

“Events and festivals attract people into cities and suburban areas,” she said.

“They are essential to the success of our industry. The arts and entertainment have been more than most adversely impacted by the last few years and they are critical to our communities, the enrichment of peoples’ lives, and are genuine attractions for domestic and local visitors.”

Ms Derry added that the increased pursuit and enjoyment of experiences is a significant global trend, and factored into the brand’s multi-year investment in Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

“We are immensely proud of this partnership, which is an investment in quality experiences that bring people together, from world-class concerts to sporting and family events,” she said.

“Above all, we are committed to supporting tourism, hospitality, events and travel, which play a vital role in our culture. The new experience economy for our industry goes beyond a hotel stay to providing our customers with unique access to the arts, sports, dining, and bar offerings as part of our guests’ stay.”

In addition to Accor Stadium, Accor is also an official partner of the Australian production of TINA – The Tina Turner Musical produced by TEG Dainty. This partnership again speaks to the value of the arts and other cultural events in attracting guests. 

“Increasingly we see audiences wanting to turn their night at the theatre into a mini vacation,” TEG Dainty CEO Paul Dainty said 

“High energy, fun productions like TINA, featuring hits with multi-generational appeal, are a great catalyst for that. We want to make it easy for people to build on their theatre experience and our partnership with Accor offers a seamless way to package up a weekend away or night in town so audiences can focus on enjoying the show!”

And it’s not just the East Coast cities that are enjoying the benefits of this trend, with Accor working to support events across Australia and New Zealand.

“We know that local and smaller events like Art in the Park in Auckland and Dark Mofo in Tasmania, bring people to locations, encourage them to stay, and boost community spirit,” Ms Derry said.

“We will continue to work in partnership with Government, State Tourism Bodies, and promoters to bring great events to Australia.”

While Accor’s investment in the arts speaks to current guest trends, Ms Derry said she personally knew the value of these events in creating experiences that become lifelong memories. 

“When I was at university in Townsville I had the opportunity to attend my first concert and can you believe it was INXS, what a way to start,” she said.

“As a child of the 80s, this will stay with me forever, plus it was my now husband who took me.

“Lately it’s been attending concerts at Accor Stadium with my two teenage daughters, such as Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles, I won’t forget any of those moments, that’s why experiences are so important to our industry.”

Sarah Davison

Sarah is a freelance journalist with experience across print, digital and audio. After working for Multimedia Publishing as a contributing writer, she has recently joined the team in a part-time capacity for School News AU and AccomNews.