Accor has today launched a Pan-European campaign and industry podcast to champion the heart and soul of the sector: people.

Hospitality embodies much of what people have missed the most in the last year – travel, bars, restaurants, wellness, experiences, exploration, discovery, connections and, most crucially, people. Accor’s latest campaign, Heart of Hospitality, hopes to reunite the nation in support of this much-loved sector and the people who make it so special.

“Heart is what our industry is built on,” says Duncan O’Rourke, CEO Accor Northern Europe. “We are a people business, that’s all that matters in our sector; people – our people, our partners and our guests. Every hospitality venue is built on the heart and soul that passionate, creative and hardworking people put into it every day. Every person, guest or talent, that steps foot into a hotel or hospitality venue is seeking an experience, an emotional connection to a person or moment. That’s why our sector is so important and why it’s been so missed in the last 18 months. It’s a sector that cares deeply every day. Hospitality matters because it has heart.”

The campaign, which includes an independent microsite to share inspiring stories of lives and moments in hospitality, and unique industry podcast, will give voice to the people of the sector, both those part of the Accor community and those working in the wider hospitality industry.

Heart of Hospitality Podcast
As part of the Heart of Hospitality campaign, Accor is launching a unique industry podcast of the same name. Hosted by Duncan O’Rourke, CEO Accor Northern Europe, the podcast series will tell the stories of moments and lives in hospitality.

The first series of the podcast will welcome contributions from leading industry experts including MPS Puri and Filip Boyen and will cover topics including:

Gastronomy and the glamour of hospitality: MPS Puri shares his passion for hospitality
The future of Hospitality: Young Talent & Education
Women in Hospitality
Epicurean Lifestyle: In Conversation with Chefs
Build Back Better: Sustainability in hospitality
Luxury Travel: Unveilling the world: Filip Boyen on travel post-Covid

In the first episode, Duncan is joined by long-time friend, collaborator and a world-renowned leader in hospitality, MPS Puri, to talk about the art of gastronomy and the glamour of hospitality. Puri, an inspirational figure in the sector, shares stories from five decades as a world-renowned F&B consultant in a sector he calls “the sexiest part of the hotel business”.

Hospitality matters because it has heart
Accor is launching Heart of Hospitality to help energize a sector that has been hard hit during the pandemic and the associated legislation and restrictions around the globe.

The hospitality and travel industry accounts for one out of every ten employment opportunities. A significant amount of those jobs have been affected as a result of Covid – not because of industry shrinkage but due to travel bans, border closures and quarantine measures, stopping employees return to their places of work or carry out their jobs. There is a clear sign of demand and recovery but the hospitality sector continues to face multiple challenges, including being unable to hire international workers who returned home during the pandemic or who fail to meet visa criteria; domestic recruitment shortages; global supply chain pressures and continued restrictions on travel.

“Despite these challenges every day hospitality workers open their doors to take care of people; to create moments for people to reconnect with loved ones; to craft memories and experiences that will stay with guests for years to come. Such resilience, passion, creativity and care is unique to our sector and something I feel enormously proud to be a part of.

“Think of your last holiday, the special birthday meal with friends, or the business trip where the deal finally closed. Every day, around the world, people come to hospitality venues to celebrate, to dream, to escape, to work, to play, to spend time with loved ones. What an industry to be a part of; to be the person responsible for these precious moments and the memories that follow. This is why we have launched Heart of Hospitality, to remind the world that hospitality has heart and that it is one of the most valuable and cherished sectors in the world. In hospitality, no two days, two people or two moments are the same, it is all unique, personal, and about people and that’s why it’s so special. Accor is a global leader in hospitality and we are proud to lead on this sector spotlight and celebrate the lives and stories of hospitality workers across the industry,” concluded Duncan O’Rourke.

Accor is inviting stories from across the industry to be shared via the Heart of Hospitality website or on social media with the tag #heartofhospitality

Heart of Hospitality is a platform for the industry created by Accor to give voice to the 1 in 10 people working in hospitality industry around the world.

Everyone has a story connected to hospitality. Whether it was a special moment in a hospitality venue, an individual who made a moment matter or a career in the sector, Accor is inviting you to share your story or to nominate a hospitality worker for their heart. You can share your stories on Instagram via #heartofhospitality or via email stories@heart-of-hospitality.com