On November 29, 2024, the first edition of the conference “INVEST in Hospitality Properties in the CEE Region” took place in Bucharest, facilitating the exploration of the connection between the real estate and hospitality sectors. The event brought to the forefront key debates for increasing profitability in the hospitality sector in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe, bringing together ministers, ambassadors, leaders of international hotel chains, investors, bank representatives and real estate experts in a context favorable to the expansion of hotel infrastructure. The opening panel raised a question – do we look to Romania’s economic future – with optimism or pessimism? The annual inflation rate will rise to 4.9% in 2024, then fall to 3.5% in 2025 and 3.3% in 2026, said Cristian Popa, member of the NBR’s Governing Council, who read a message from Governor Mugur Isărescu: “The economy’s annual growth in the first half of the year and, probably for the whole of 2024, was mainly driven by private consumption. Also noteworthy is the recent high and above-expectations double-digit annual growth in unit labor costs in the private sector,” the message added. At the same time, Cristian Popa mentioned that it is essential to maintain the high pace of attracting European funds, as well as to target them in order to “generate synergies in the economy in the long term”. The Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation in Romania, H.E. Massimo Baggi, emphasized the collaboration between the two countries, at the opening of the event: “We are currently investing 220 million euro in Romania in several sectors of activity, including the energy sector, energy efficiency and dual education. I believe that the hospitality industry is one of the sectors in which Switzerland has very good practices that we can share in Romania”, said the ambassador. Prof. Dr. Ray F. Iunius, CEO winsed.swiss, the organizing company of the event, said “Romania is becoming more and more attractive for investors and hotel brands, who are starting to discover it and come. If in the past Eastern European countries were pejoratively spoken about, today, in Europe, they are the most dynamic. The improvement of the hotel infrastructure in Romania will significantly boost domestic tourism, and the increase in the average rate/night and the value per guest will allow for higher investments. In addition, the fact that both local and foreign tourists will spend more in Romania may turn the budget deficit into a surplus. Investments in the hospitality industry should not only target infrastructure, but also people. This is why the winsed.swiss concept is based on supporting partners with integrated solutions, including recruitment, training, consulting and management.”
First edition of INVEST in Hospitality Properties Think Tank
