SITA has achieved record results for 2023 as revenues reached almost US$1.5 billion, with all signs so far in 2024 indicating similar positive performance this year, revealed CEO David Lavorel during SITA’s Annual General Assembly held in June.
SITA has also seen record contracts and partnerships to transform travel at airports and borders, through digital identities, biometric and mobile-enabled self-service, and digital borders. Examples include biometric touch points for airline passengers at Frankfurt Airport, a digital travel and sustainability collaboration with the Arab Air Carriers Organization, and continued trials in Aruba using ICAO’s Digital Travel Credential standard.
In addition, SITA’s agreement with the Airports Authority of India will see the latest passenger processing solutions and cloud-enablement for 44 airports in India, preparing the country for a future of increasing growth in passenger traffic.
Furthermore, the launch of new services for the SITA Connect Go SD-WAN solution gives the industry the opportunity to achieve this goal, as a platform for industry digitalisation. Qatar Airways and Biman Bangladesh Airlines became early customers, using the solution to help fuel growth.
In another major trend, collaborative IT for aircraft is helping to make flights more efficient and sustainable, using artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven operational tools.
In 2023, airlines like Azul, Singapore Airlines, AIX Connect, Vistara, and more, eagerly took on SITA OptiFlight to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by better planning fight paths. AI and flight optimisation services are critical to help aviation’s journey to a carbon net-zero future.
This year has also has seen the launch of SITA Total Airport Optimizer, which uses an AI-powered platform to help airports manage every aspect of their operations. This was followed by SITA’s acquisition of Materna IPS.
Through an agreement with Columbia Ship management, SITA then launched SmartSea, which will reshape the maritime industry by giving it access to the same advanced technology that is transforming the air transport industry. The launch comes as part of SITA’s expansion into cruise and rail, as well Urban Air Mobility, such as Vertiports.
SITA also acquired ASISTIM, a company renowned for its managed airline flight operations services, paving the way for airlines of all sizes to outsource part of their flight operations through a fully-fledged airline flight Operations Control Center managed service.
Lavorel remarked: “Our portfolio developments and innovations are preparing the industry for the years ahead, delivering seamless and touchless journeys, operational efficiency, resilience and agility, sustainability, and more.
“Major trends such as digitalisation and sustainability will uproot the way we work, forever. For 75 years we’ve helped air transport step into the future. Now we’re positioned to help the wider travel and transport industries to create ever more frictionless journey experiences, achieve operational efficiencies and resilience, and address sustainability requirements.”
With over 27 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Lim was previously the general manager of Momentus Hospitality, where he took charge of the entire Momentus portfolio including Momentus Hotel Alexandra and Momentus Serviced Residences Novena.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jeung has lived in Japan for over 15 years and has held several leadership roles in international firms like American Express, Booking.com, and Expedia during her career.
Ascott is expanding its European portfolio with six new properties, with five located in cities new to its network – Colmar in France, as well as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester and Manchester in the UK. The sixth will be in London, where the lodging company already has six operating properties.
The signings in Edinburgh and Leicester will mark the European debut of The Unlimited Collection brand, a selection of independent upscale hotels with exquisite designs in vibrant neighbourhoods that cater to travellers’ demand for authenticity and immersive local cultural experiences. Originating from Singapore, The Unlimited Collection is a soft brand that enables Ascott to partner with independent owners who want to preserve the unique identities of their properties while leveraging Ascott’s expertise in hospitality management, global distribution system, and loyalty network.
The Colmar property will bear the Citadines flag while those in Glasgow, London and Manchester will carry the lyf brand.
This brings Ascott’s presence in Europe to 29 cities from 24 and room inventory in the region to about 8,000 units – up 14 per cent – across six brands and 60 operating and pipeline properties.
Fronting the press conference in London on July 8, Kevin Goh, CEO for Ascott and CLI Lodging, said: “As a global tourism and business hub, Europe plays a key role in Ascott’s expansion plans. The diverse and dynamic nature of its hospitality sector offers plenty of scope for Ascott to drive more successful partnerships with owners.
“We will achieve this by leveraging Ascott’s flex-hybrid hotel-in-residence model, which is designed to meet the varying needs of owners and guests through a wide selection of brands and customised solutions, backed by experienced teams with deep local knowledge.”
Five of the six new signings in Europe are conversion projects, allowing both Ascott and owners to bring their assets to market more swiftly than a new-build would.
“Ascott’s established conversion capabilities has already been proven as effective in gaining the confidence of property owners. We expect franchise management to be our next pillar of growth in Europe, where market conditions are conducive for this business segment,” Goh added.
The new signings join recent fresh openings in the region. lyf Schönbrunn Vienna, Somerset Schönbrunn Vienna, and Citadines Danube Vienna opened at the end of 2023, marking the debut of both brands in Europe. Citadines Canal Amsterdam opened earlier this year while lyf East Frankfurt welcomed first guests in early July.
lyf Gambetta Paris will open as the first lyf branded property in France later this year. Ascott’s newly signed The Unlimited Collection branded property in Edinburgh will also open before end of the year.
Goh said Ascott’s expansion strategy in Europe will benefit the company’s Asian properties. Europe is regarded as “a very important source market” for Ascott, as it contributes “a lot of guests” to its properties in Asia. Having more property options in Europe will strengthen the presence of its brands among Europeans, thus raising the chances of European travellers choosing to stay with such familiar brands when they head to Asia.
When asked which of Ascott’s brands would attract owners most, Serena Lim, chief growth officer, told TTG Asia that Europe is diverse and its destinations attract travellers of all intentions while Ascott is an accommodation provider with brands that cater to different customer segments – from families through the Somerset brand to corporate groups through the Oakwood brand.
As Ascott piles on new signings and openings, efforts are also made to raise the appeal of existing properties and optimise asset value for existing owners, shared Frédéric Carre, regional general manager, Europe operations and operations excellence, Ascott.
A robust Asset Enhancement Initiatives exercise is now underway for several European properties. Works not only deliver heightened comfort for guests, they may also update properties to latest brand standards and raise sustainability capabilities to both local and global standards where necessary, Leong Teng Wui, chief design and technical officer at Ascott, told TTG Asia.
In Ireland, Temple Bar Hotel Dublin will be rebranded under The Unlimited Collection by end-2024. The Cavendish London will undergo renovation and be rebranded in 2026 as the first property in the UK under The Crest Collection, while Citadines Holborn-Covent Garden is expected to unveil new spaces following the completion of renovation works by mid-September. In France, Citadines Les Halles Paris has just completed renovation works while Citadines Saint-Germain-des-Prés Paris will be transformed into a property under The Crest Collection by 2H2026, with a target opening in 2028.
Underlining the commercial importance of Europe, Carre said Ascott’s European portfolio has been driving average daily rates of almost 30 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels while properties far exceeded all other markets in terms of revenue per available unit in 2023.
“Our properties in Europe contributed to almost 16 per cent of Ascott’s global revenue,” he said, adding that the company aims to have Europe contribute 30 per cent of global revenue by 2028.