Accor eyes Kenya MICE market to grow hospitality business

Accor, the global hotel group, has identified Kenya as a key market within its Sub-Saharan Africa operations, highlighting potential growth in the business travel, tourism, and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sectors. Simon Hudson, Accor Kenya Country Manager, emphasized that Accor's hotels in Kenya are well-positioned to host events of various sizes, from small meetings to large international conferences.

Hudson noted that Accor is the market leader in Kenya and the group's capability for handling events, especially MICE events, is unmatched in the country. The Kenyan portfolio of Accor comprises nine hotels, with more than 1,400 rooms across seven brands. Together, the group's Kenyan properties can accommodate over 4,500 people for events.

Hudson also pointed out that major events scheduled in Kenya, such as the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2029 World Athletics Championships, could further boost the demand for hotel accommodations and conference facilities. During Accor's "ALL Thanks To You" event in Nairobi, Hudson highlighted that industrial action at Kenya's airports had disrupted the hospitality sector by impeding travel for both business and leisure visitors.

Currently, Accor operates over 70 hotels with approximately 9,500 rooms across Sub-Saharan Africa and has plans to add 28 more hotels, amounting to an additional 3,800 rooms, by 2030.