hotels


Visa reforms are crucial for continued growth in sector


ufi ibrahim is chief executive officer of British Hospitality Association


£1.62bn in distressed uK sales


Britain has seen £1.62bn of hotels sold under administra- tion or receivership between 2010 and 2013. This year is already the


T


eresa May announced that she’d be restructuring the UK Border Authority (UKBA) – this should be applauded. Te need to reform


the UK’s visa procedures so that they are less expensive and more straightforward is abso- lutely critical to continued growth. Championing the improvement of the visa


system is one of our most important cam- paigns here at the BHA. It has now gained the support of many other organisations including the CBI, Institute of Directors and the British Chambers of Commerce. Te fact is that the UK’s overall economic


competitiveness is being weakened by both international perceptions and the reality of visa policy driving business into the hands of our European competitors. To give an example, tour operators bringing Chinese tourists to Europe have been removing the UK from their tour itineraries because of the complicated need for an extra visa. So what needs to change? We need to


bring the UK up to the European equiva- lent as soon as possible. More far reaching opportunities would be sharing of biometric data with the French and German govern- ments and a ‘dual processing’ system which would allow Chinese visitors to submit their UK forms at the same time as their single European one. It’s estimated that we miss out on an £1.2bn in annual spend from Chinese tourists and the UK share of the Chinese tourists is falling in contrast to growing annual Chinese visitor numbers in coun- tries like France and Germany. Britain should also follow Australia which


introduced an online visa programme, stor- ing personal information and doing away with personal stamps. Elsewhere, the US administration has also


made a number of changes to its visa policies with the deliberate intention of increasing the number of international arrivals – espe- cially those from China. With the UKBA now back under Home


Office control I hope that the government is moving towards reform. It’s not just the hospitality and tourism sectors which will benefit from these changes. It is the British economy as a whole.


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most active in terms of sales by distressed compa- nies due to the sale of the 42 Marriott portfolio. Te Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) bought the hotels for a reported £657m. Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels


& Hospitality Group exec- utive vice president George Nicholas said: “Te process of bank deleveraging is quicken- ing and we are already experiencing a record year of administration led transactions in 2013, a level which is significantly higher than the total of £542m sold in 2011.” The investment firm says pricing has


A record number of hotels under administration have changed hands It predicts an increase in non-performing


become more realistic as banks speed up the de-leveraging process.


loan note sales as banks explore methods to balance their loan books. Nicholas said: “Lone note sales lead the deleveraging process, how- ever, we expect corporate and property specific administrations to continue to accelerate. Details: http://lei.sr?a=w4P5T


Starwood Hotel Group appoints president for EMEA


Starwood Hotels & Resorts has appointed Michael Wale its new president for the Europe, Africa & Middle East (EAME) region. Wale has most recently managed Starwood’s


operations in Western Europe, leading 54 hotels across eight brands, and began his career


with the company in 1978 as a graduate trainee. Wale takes over from Roeland Vos, who took on the role in 2001 and has seen the brand grow from 127 properties in the region to 243, with an additional 64 hotels in the pipeline. Details: http://lei.sr?a=1I8d7


The Autograph Collection launches in UK


Treadneedles in London and Te Glasshouse in Edinburgh have been added to Marriott’s portfolio of upscale hotels Te Autograph Collection - its first UK properties. Te Autograph Collection


comprises 40 hotels across the world including in the US, Europe, Caribbean and South America. Te vision behind the col-


lection is to provide a variety of travel experiences includ- ing: Culinary Delight, Artistic Getaway, Historic Exploration or Sporting Adventure. Threadneedles is located


Treadneedles is located in London in a historic Grade-II listed building


in London’s Square Mile in a grade-II listed building minutes from sites such as The Bank of England and St Paul’s Cathedral. Te Glasshouse is built into the 150-year old façade


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


of the Lady Glenorchy church and located at the foot of Calton Hill. It includes a two-acre roof garden with views across Edinburgh. Details: http://lei.sr?a=A1i0x


Twitter: @leisureopps © Cybertrek 2013


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