How do you engage with millennials – that trend-conscious, Insta-obsessed generation? Recognise that what they’re looking for isn’t very different from the rest of us, says Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson
Following a mega-merger between Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Arne Sorenson now sits at the top of a hotel chain that has over 1.2 million rooms, with another 425,000 in the pipeline. Sorenson is the first CEO of the group not to carry the Marriott surname. He also happens to be really bullish on India.
Case in point: The newly opened Sheraton Grand Bengaluru Whitefield is the group’s 100th property in the country. In another five years, Sorenson plans to double that number, to 200.
As technology continues to disrupt life as we know it, and with a constantly evolving global political mood posing new challenges, Sorenson holds that the travel industry will continue to grow, for one simple reason: It creates jobs.
What’s the big trend in lifestyle travel?
We’re now a lot more interested in collecting experiences than buying things. We want experiences that we can share with the world through social media. And this trend won’t just be restricted to millennials. The older customers, while continuing to want the traditional luxury service and beautiful rooms, are now increasingly looking for intense experiences too.
Millennials are the largest group of customers on the planet right now. How does Marriott engage with this group?
This story is from the May 2018 edition of GQ India.
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This story is from the May 2018 edition of GQ India.
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