The new head of France at SiteMinder, the global hotel industry’s leading guest acquisition platform, is inviting hotels to help distribute tourism more evenly across the country by using technology to “sell their destination”. Antoine Auburn, a Bordeaux-native and travel passionate, says a wider adoption of hotel marketing technology could be pivotal in avoiding overtourism from arising in popular hot spots and driving tourists to rural areas where they are needed most.
Mr Aubrun’s comments follow concerns voiced by the French government and the country’s top hospitality and tourism industry bodies about the possibility of France experiencing a ‘two-speed’ economy. While France remains the world’s most visited country with tourist arrivals expected to reach 90 million in 2018, it is estimated around 200 local hotels close their business each year.
“The question is not about the ongoing success of hotels located in the most visited cities of France, but how hotels located outside of those areas can benefit from similar levels of tourism when travellers don’t even know they exist. It’s time for those hotels to unleash their potential and compete for their share of guests,” says Mr Aubrun.
“We live in a digital world where technology can be a hotel’s most powerful ally. Hotels in places such as Paris will always endure, because of the other attractions their cities can offer. However, as more and more travellers seek out experiences that are different and memorable, I believe hotels located in more remote locations have a unique opportunity to showcase their own destinations. It’s time for those hotels to find out what marketing technology can do for them.”
With deep experience in business development and sales, Antoine Aubrun is driven to find success for France’s hotels and support them in capitalising on the global reach offered by modern hotel technology. His appointment as SiteMinder’s new country manager comes as SiteMinder continues its rapid expansion across Europe and the former head of France, Clemens Fisch, leads SiteMinder in DACH – the other market he has led for more than two years – on a more dedicated basis.
SiteMinder’s managing director for EMEA, Ruairi Conroy, says, “SiteMinder continues to experience strong growth in France, and Antoine’s leadership will ensure even more hotels can capitalise on a guest acquisition platform like ours to succeed. With tourism on a steady rise and the hospitality industry becoming more competitive than ever, the opportunity for hotels is enormous if only they invest in technology to make that happen.”
For more information please visit www.siteminder.com
