Issenberg: It will be tough in the second half
From the new Accor Asia Pacific’s office on the 37th level of Raffles City Tower, you can pretty much see most of the city scape of Singapore.
The green, green grass of Padang right beneath your feet, the heritage buildings flanking it, the Marina Bay scape, a slice of the “durianâ€, the Esplanade, peeking out from behind another tall building, the Singapore Flyer looming large and round …
Does this remind you of Sydney,†I ask the new chairman of Accor Asia Pacific, Michael Issenberg, who’s moved to Singapore to run the hotel group from a location closer to the heart of its expansion.
“No,†he laughs.
You can understand Issenberg, recently promoted from managing director/CEO, feeling on top of the world. His region is the fastest-growing in the group – while still a small part of the global Accor pie, it’s full of promise.
Right now, it represents five percent of the company’s profits but Issenberg wants to grow it to 10% by 2010.
With 330 hotels in Asia Pacific, another 100 under development and possibly another 100 lined up – it will invest one billion Euros in Asia Pacific between 2007 and 2010, it’s pretty much lined up to meet that target – unless something goes horribly wrong.
Could that something be the economy?


Issenberg is not buying into the line that Asia will be immune to the troubles going on in the US. He believes it will be a tough year, especially the second half.
“I’m not an economist but a lot of India’s outsourcing business comes from the US and China sells a lot of goods to the US.â€
All this presents a new challenge to hotel groups, he says. For the first time, hotels will have to manage growth in a slowing economy.
“We have the dichotomy of having to manage a growth region in a slowing economy. In the US and Europe, which are more matured markets, you can cut costs.
by Yeoh Siew Hoon
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt