Joanna Flint

Great news from the first half of 2025 at a&o Hostels 🍾 . We welcomed 1.4 million guests across Europe in the first six months, with 3.1 million overnight stays and an occupancy rate of 73% 🛌 . International travel is on the rise – particularly from the UK and USA – and we expect to reach 6 million overnight stays by the end of the year. This growth is matched by our expanding footprint 🌍 . Our newest properties, a&o Firenze Campo di Marte and a&o Milano Ca Granda, are already welcoming guests, with more openings in the pipeline for 2025 👏 . Guest behavior is evolving: shorter stays, more last-minute bookings, and increased demand for great value 📸 . Our commitment remains the same – to offer affordable stays from €12 💰 a night while investing in smart, #sustainable solutions like renewable energy, AI-assisted operations, and #digital check-in. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary 🥳 , our vision stays bold: a&o in every major tourist city in Europe – and beyond... 🚀 #hospitality #travel #hotels #tourism #future #aohostels #sales

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☕🤖 Pour yourself a cup - this episode of #LoyalTEA is all about how #AI is reshaping loyalty and the customer experience. Ravindra Bhagwanani and I are joined by Sophie Yannicopoulos, Managing Director France at Adobe and expert on artificial intelligence, to explore how #GenAI is changing the way brands connect with customers - and what that means for the future of travel. From hyper-personalisation to content creation at scale, we dig into how #AI is helping brands like ALL Accor deliver richer, more relevant experiences across every digital touchpoint - while also driving internal marketing efficiency. It’s not just about automation: it’s about smarter, more human #experiences at every step of the journey. Tune in to hear how #AI is making loyalty more personal, and travel more seamless. #LoyalTEA #ALLAccor #ArtificialIntelligence #GenAI #Adobe

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I had the pleasure of joining Bloomberg Surveillance today to talk about the enduring strength of the Travel & Leisure sector. Even as some consumers trim budgets, the desire for experiences continues to outpace demand for goods – a trend we’ve seen hold steady for decades. While the post-COVID surge in travel demand has shifted into a more normalized environment, we continue to see particularly strong performance at the higher end of the market, where travelers continue to invest in quality, unforgettable experiences. Having spent more than 30 years focused on this space at KSL Capital Partners, we’ve seen firsthand how resilient and globally consistent these tailwinds can be. Thanks to Lisa Abramowicz, Jonathan Ferro, and the Bloomberg team for the thoughtful discussion. Watch the full interview below:

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The global travel and tourism industry has long been a bellwether of economic confidence and social stability. Few sectors were more disrupted by COVID-19, and few staged such a remarkable rebound in the years immediately after. By 2022 and 2023, pent-up demand had unleashed record-breaking growth. Luxury resorts were fully booked, international air traffic surged, and high-end segments such as private aviation and celebratory travel weddings, milestone birthdays, and corporate events saw unprecedented expansion. Yet, as we progress through 2025, the industry has entered a new phase of normalization. The extraordinary rebound has tempered, and signs of recalibration are visible across multiple segments. Even the luxury travel market, once seemingly impervious to global volatility, has shown declines compared to 2024 levels, particularly in bookings for holiday seasons and special celebrations. This shift raises important questions about the resilience of demand and the structural changes shaping the sector. Read the rest of the opinion piece following the link.

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If your customer base is global, your thinking should be too 🌍 The line between London and Dubai is getting finer all the time. There’s a growing group of people who live in one and travel to the other, and we’re seeing it across our guest base at Tattu. With British travellers now the third largest group visiting the UAE, many already know our brand from the UK. That creates an exciting opportunity. “How do we take what we know about our guests and make it work internationally?” For us, it starts with treating hospitality as a connected journey, not a static moment. Your guest in London today might walk through the doors in Dubai six months from now. They’ll expect the same level of detail and recognition, and we’re planning for it. As part of our pre-opening planning for Tattu Dubai, we’re leaning into relationship-led outreach over mass comms. That means personal invites to UK guests ahead of opening, and the same in reverse when London sees its annual summer influx. We’re using CRM data not to automate the experience, but to deepen it. Understanding birthdays, favourites, service preferences. Tracking seasonal travel patterns and welcoming guests across time zones, not just cities. The future of hospitality is responsive, borderless and personal.

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