Meliá Hotels International Reports First Quarter 2021 Results
The Third Wave Of The Pandemic Forced Meliá To Keep Half Of Its Rooms Closed, Provoking An 80% Decrease In Revenue Compared To The First Quarter Of 2019, Although A Strong Recovery Is Expected In The Summer And Fourth Quarter
The Third Wave Of The Pandemic Forced Meliá To Keep Half Of Its Rooms Closed, Provoking An 80% Decrease In Revenue Compared To The First Quarter Of 2019, Although A Strong Recovery Is Expected In The Summer And Fourth Quarter.
- The results contain no surprises as they reflect the almost global paralysis of demand due to virus outbreaks and travel restrictions
- The continued presence of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2021 had an impact on the business which was almost identical to the previous quarter
- The company has begun to reopen its large resort hotels and is fine-tuning its recovery plan and prioritising health and safety through the Stay Safe With Meliá programme
- Satisfactory growth in bookings for Spanish resort hotels combined with a strong tendency to book at the last minute
(*) The comparison with the previous year is biased as the first quarter of 2020 was not affected by the impact of the pandemic until March 15.
Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, Executive Vice President and CEO of Meliá Hotels International: “The results of the first quarter contain no surprises given the stagnation in demand created by a third wave of the pandemic that came before having achieved immunity in most countries. Our company therefore maintained the activation of its Contingency Plan, guaranteeing the required levels of liquidity and reducing operating expenses by 54.2% over the period, at the same time ramping up our digitalisation, the implementation of a new operating model, and progress with our ESG strategy."
"However, we remain optimistic about the next few months, in which, with the greatest degree of prudence and respect for health and safety recommendations, we expect to return to near-normal levels in resort hotels. Along with progress with vaccinations in key markets and travel destinations (at least with the first dose), the key to recovery in the upcoming summer season will undoubtedly be the implementation of reliable, standardised digital health control and coordination systems."
"We are confident that the strong upturn in demand we have already seen from the US market to the Caribbean, thanks to an efficient vaccination programme and the prioritisation of health measures in destinations such as the Dominican Republic and Mexico, will lead the way in a reactivation that is also beginning to be seen in other markets and destinations and will form the basis of a solid and consistent recovery, which Meliá will be in a position to lead thanks to the competitive advantage provided by its direct channels."
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