Accor has welcomed the appointment of Richard Munro as the new CEO of the Accommodation Association of Australia (AAA), saying that it would help give the accommodation sector a greater voice in government and industry circles.
“Unifying the accommodation sector and making our opinions and views heard in Government is crucial to the hotel and tourism industry’s future,” said Accor Australia’s Vice President, Simon McGrath.
“Despite improving rates and occupancies in many parts of Australia, our industry faces a number of long-term challenges that require immediate action.
“These include the decline in traditional inbound markets such as Japan, the US and Europe, as well as a sharp fall in domestic leisure travel.
“While some of the problems relate to the high Australian dollar, there are more structural issues challenging our industry, and a strong AAA organization is best placed to address them on behalf of all accommodation providers.
“Our discussions with Government have highlighted that they would prefer to deal with one body representing the accommodation industry, and I believe that with this latest appointment that AAA is now well positioned to provide leadership for all accommodation providers across Australia, whether they be hotels, serviced apartments, resorts or motels.”