RADISSON HOTEL GROUP GETS READY TO BECOME TRAVELLERS’ FIRST CHOICE GLOBALLY

The announcement comes at a critical juncture in the Asia-Pacific tourism industry's recovery from the pandemic. 

"As recovery gets underway, we intend to be the hotel brand of choice for employees, guests and owners with a diverse portfolio of exceptional hotels and resorts. Our nine distinct brands are designed to meet the needs of different travellers and budget levels," David Nguyen, Managing Director of Radisson Hotel Group (RHG)’s Indochina and Strategic Partnerships, Southeast Asia & Pacific said.

Despite RHG's strong position, the Group aspires to be at the forefront of travellers' minds when they travel by emphasising diversity in serving customers, a supportive environment for employees, and agility in operations for owners.

Nguyen stated that Radisson Hotel Group has a clearly defined brand architecture, offering nine distinct brands ranging from luxury to mid-scale, in order to cater to travellers worldwide. With this brand architecture, the group can cater to a variety of travellers, which is especially important given the current economic climate.

“Furthermore, each of RHG’s brands has its own distinct design and experiences tailored to serve all types of travellers, ranging from business to leisure and everything in between," Nguyen added.

RHG’s nine brands include Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Park Plaza, Radisson RED, Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Prizeotel and Radisson Individuals, which was launched in 2020.

Nguyen commented that Radisson Individuals gives hotel owners an opportunity to plug their properties into RHG’s marketing and distributions systems, and leverage its loyalty program – Radisson Rewards.

“During the pandemic, many hotel owners were looking for ways to recover, Radisson Individuals is an upscale brand that can help recovery through greater flexibility, cost-effectiveness and minimal downtime,” Nguyen said.

He added that RHG’s brands are offered with the right business model in mind, at the right location, for the right partner. The aim is to provide tailor-made solutions with owners in mind. 

He pointed out that RHG’s nine distinct brands will play a key role in helping the company expand its scale. The group will also capitalize on its partnership with shareholder Jin Jiang International and its affiliates to accelerate its expansion.
He explained that being part of Jin Jiang, the world's second-largest hotel group, allows Radisson to focus on delivering its core vision with a clear plan in leveraging and supporting those nine distinct brands in each market.

In addition to expanding RHG’s portfolio, Nguyen said the group also places high value on its employees and their development.

The hospitality industry is heavily reliant on the workforce to deliver great experiences to guests, he said. Hence, it is RHG's goal to help employees upskill or reskill based on their potential, in order to encourage their development and continued growth within the business.

He stated that becoming the employer of choice and growing employees’ potential have always been part of RHG's culture and goals. For instance, he said, the group gives team members the opportunity for mobility and job rotation.

"Investing in our employees, meeting their needs and allowing them to grow, whether through training or practical work is our aim. We also ensure our employees are recognized for the work they do," Nguyen confirmed.

RHG's distinctiveness, according to Nguyen, goes beyond its focus on employees and guests, but also through its adaptable business model. The Group is looking to grow through various models including, mergers and acquisitions and strategic partnerships. 

RHG's top priority is to pay close attention to its three principal facets, namely hotel guests, owners, and employees. 

According to Nguyen, RHG has consistently understood when and how to support its stakeholders, because they genuinely listen to them.

"We have established a local business unit in Thailand to support all our key stakeholders and provide above par operations. We have also made investments worldwide in digitizing the guest experience. Our investment of more than 150 million euros in technology and transformation allows us to deliver the uniqueness that customers are looking for in the foreseeable future," Nguyen said.

To sustain its growth, RHG has committed to a five-year transformation plan that includes best-in-class technology and integrated solutions to maximise revenue across the group's hotels and deliver the industry's best GOP.

Meanwhile, Nguyen said the hospitality industry faces various crisis and challenges. "High inflation, a slowing economy, and geopolitical tensions are all possibilities. As a global hospitality company, we are no strangers to such challenges and have navigated through them successfully. Travel continues to be a mainstay, though travellers’ needs and demands may change and we are confident in delivering on these with our portfolio of brands,” Nguyen elaborated.

With over 75 years of hospitality experience, RHG is committed to serve every guest, grow its employees and a value-add to its owners through their strategic plan. Nguyen believes RHG will maintain its position as the world’s top three hospitality companies.

Maintain focusing on Thai market 

Moreover, he is also committed to prioritising the Thai tourism industry because the country’s vast diversity of attractions is one of its core strengths. Nguyen believes its resilience as a market gives RHG and its brands a strong opportunity to grow.

According to the Bank of Thailand (BOT), the country should see 10 million foreign tourists this year and 19 million in 2023. Nguyen noted that this is a positive sign of recovery because the expected number is nearly 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

"In Thailand, we target to double our current portfolio within the next 18 months. That progress is on track. Our plan has also accounted for the rebound of travel and tourism from China that is expected to resume in the near future,” he said.

Radisson is now one of the world's largest and most dynamic hotel groups, having been named Forbes' fourth Best Employer in the Travel & Leisure Industry for the second consecutive year. There are over 1,700 hotels in operation or in development around the world.