Radisson Blu is among the largest four-star brands in Europe, according to Younes, with around 200 hotels. The group also has plans to accelerate growth here, recently establishing a joint venture for operating Radisson and Radisson Red hotels in Germany and Austria.
But Younes thinks that while in European markets finding new properties is a difficult “treasure hunt” in which all the big hotel groups are competing, Africa is “the most exciting in terms of transformative evolution.”
There are currently 40 Radisson hotels open and 40 under development in Africa. The group recently opened its third Nairobi property, an extended-stay Radisson Blu, and announced plans to debut in Tunisia and Ethiopia. The first design-oriented Radisson Red brand will open in Johannesburg in 2021 (it’s also debuting in London next year).
“It’s massive, the potential there is huge. We over- and underestimate Africa at the same time,” Younes said, highlighting the need for good, four-star hotels.
“We overestimate it because we get excited and say ‘let’s go do business in Africa!’ You go and you realise how difficult it is to do business there. It is a little bit more complicated, it’s rugged, so you need to be ready for that component.
“But the potential is untapped and it’s massive. The issue, or challenge, is to be able to look at it with the right lens. Africa is long-term. It’s a ten-year game, you need to sacrifice, commit, you need to have people on the ground, you need to understand the culture. It’s a process you have to go through.
“Whether it’s business or leisure that depends. If you’re in Nigeria it’s business, if you go to South Africa or Tanzania there will be more leisure. Africa is not one country, it’s 52 countries. So you need to look at it as 52 opportunities rather than one ‘Africa strategy’.”