Global hotel sector performs well in 2012 - The major global hotel groups published good results for the whole of 2012. Accor (turnover of +2.7%), InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) (+5%), Marriott (+8%) and Choice Hotels International (+8%) all experienced significant increases in revenue. Geographical analysis, however, illustrates the current difficulties being experienced in the European economies. Hotel stays tended to stagnate or even fall in southern European countries. Although, ultimately, there had been growth, it is clearly less than in other parts of the world. IHG Nagar therefore experienced growth per hotel room (RevPAR) of +1.7% in Europe, as opposed to +6.1% on the American continent, +5.4% in China and +4.9% in Asia-Middle East. The results are quite representative given that at the same time, Starwood experienced increased revenues of between +5% and +6% on the American continent and between +3.9% in the Asian Pacific region, as opposed to +1% in Europe. Marriot has seen RevPAR increase by +2.8% in Europe but between +5.3% and +9.2% on the other continents. The 2013, US group is forecasting RevPAR growth of between +4% +7% in North America and between +3% and +5% in the other regions of the world. Per category, the results appear more homogenous for the French Accor group, high and middle range hotel turnover in the world reached +2.7% in 2012, while economy hotels rose by +2.6%. In North America, the high and luxury Marriott brands (+6.4%) did as well as the “limited services” brands (+6.3%). For all the different groups, 2012 was characterised by significant developments, particularly in emerging economies. For example, IHG chalked up two-figure growth in its supply in China for the seventh year running, where it has also opened the biggest “Holiday Inn” hotel in the world. Another illustration of this expansion in the big European and US groups outside the areas in which they originally developed is the fact that out of the 266 hotels (38 085) opened by Accor in 2012, 48% were in the Asian Pacific area, 28% in Europe, 14% in Latin America and 10% in Africa-Middle East. Europe, nonetheless, remains a high potential economic market for the hotel industry and is holding up well, despite the economic situation. Marriott specialises in top of the range hotels and 280 of them out of 3 800 in the world, are in Europe. It has just launched a chain of three star Moxy Hotels. Ibis, the economy flagship of the Accor group confirms its excellent state of health and its ability to provide an even greater range of 5700 additional rooms, which brings its total capacity in Europe to 122,000 rooms. It remains the biggest economy hotel group in Europe and is ahead of Premier Inn (50 700 rooms) and Travelodge (38 500 rooms) (IL/trans/fl)