Hospitality Leaders Confident in Global Hotel Industry Growth

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, shared a positive outlook for the hospitality industry at its annual CEO summit held at Corinthia Hotel Brussels. The event brought together over 30 CEOs and senior leaders from 45 brands, including Kempinski Hotels, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, and Corinthia Hotels.

Despite ongoing economic and geopolitical challenges, GHA CEO Chris Hartley and other panelists expressed confidence in continued growth, citing strong tourism demand and positive data. According to UN Tourism, more than 300 million people traveled globally in Q1 2025—a 5 percent increase from 2024 and 3 percent above 2019 levels. Europe welcomed 125 million international visitors, showing a steady 2 percent year-over-year gain.

GHA, which includes 363 hotels across 17 brands in Europe alone, generated $1.1 billion in revenue last year from GHA DISCOVERY loyalty members. In Q1 2025, GHA revenue rose 15 percent to $746 million. The alliance projects international travel growth between 3 and 5 percent annually.

Barbara Muckermann, CEO of Kempinski Hotels, noted that travel demand remains strong, especially in the luxury sector, with China’s recovery expected to drive future growth. Asia-Pacific has emerged as the fastest-growing tourism region with a 12 percent increase in international arrivals.

New GHA members this year include Cinnamon Hotels (Sri Lanka), Sunway Hotels (Malaysia), and Rotana, expanding the alliance toward its 1,000-property milestone. Corinthia Group also continues global expansion with new openings in New York, Brussels, Bucharest, and an upcoming hotel in Rome.

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