Wyndham Hotel Group CEO Discusses Future of Hospitality in Latin America

During the SAHIC South America event today in Buenos Aires, Wyndham Hotel Group President and CEO Geoff Ballotti discussed the future of hospitality opportunities in Argentina and the rest of Latin America, painting a picture of continued growth.

In his position at the head of Wyndham, which is one of the five largest hotel companies in the world, Ballotti oversees a total of 200 properties in Latin America and the Caribbean, and he said that recent years have ushered in considerable growth.

In fact, Wyndham's portfolio has doubled in the region over the past 3 years, with 24 new hotels added this year. Of those hotels, 17 are in Argentina and came to Wyndham via the company's acquisition of Fen Hotels in late 2016.

Ballotti's remarks often address how important it is for the government's in Latin America to work with hotel companies. Last year in the wake of Wyndham's acquisition of Fen Hotels, Ballotti received a call from Argentinian President Mauricio Macri, asking what more the government could do to support the company.

As such, Ballotti predicts a rosy future for hospitality growth in Argentina over the coming years. This outlook is not just talk, however, as Wyndham is currently preparing to move its Latin American headquarters to the country. Indeed, Buenos Aires ranks as the most visited country in South America, but not at the top of the list for Latin America.

That honor goes to Mexico, which Ballotti also pointed to as a country that is important to Wyndham's operations in the region, saying they have long had a good working relationship with the government there.

Mexico has widely and aggressively promoted its country's tourism industry since the 1960, making the nation one of the 10 most visited countries in the world as tourists regularly flock there from the nearby United States and Canada, especially to the country's many beach resort cities, including Cancun, Baja and Puerto Vallarta.

Discussing governmental collaboration with hospitality companies further, Ballotti said there are indications that Brazil is beginning to understand the importance of doing so, laying the ground work for work with major players in the industry.

Overall, Ballotti and Wyndham believe that revPAR will continue growing throughout Latin America, powered largely by middle class travelers. As such, it is somewhat safe to expect the hospitality industry throughout the region to focus its efforts on attracting those guests.

One positive of note for Latin America, Ballotti said, is that the sharing economy website Airbnb has not taken hold in that region as it has in other parts of the world, making conditions there for large hospitality operators a bit more stable.

Ballotti's remarks came during an interview with Peter Greenberg, the travel editor for CBS News. The SAHIC South America continues today with a keynote speech from Accor Hotels CEO Sebastien Bazin. Make sure to check back to TOPHOTELNEWS for updates from the second day of the annual must-attend event.

Source: Hospitality Net