Affluent travellers and the football World Cup helped InterContinental Hotels Group post higher year-on-year second quarter revenue per available room.
Demand for travel, particularly among higher spenders, has remained untouched by geopolitical events, as research shows consumers prioritising spend on travel and experiences, and business surveys indicate expectations for ongoing growth in corporate travel budgets.
The company, whose brands include Holiday Inn, Kimpton and Crowne Plaza, posted global revenue per available room growth of 3.5%, helped by an 5.4% increase in Americas and 0.8% rise in China revenues for the three months ended June.
Elie Maalouf, chief executive of IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “Our diverse global footprint and better-than-expected demand in most markets around the world delivered strong RevPAR growth of 4.1% in the first six months of 2026.
“Trading in the US accelerated in the second quarter, growth in Greater China continued and a good performance elsewhere in our EMEAA region helped offset challenges in the Middle East.
“This robust revenue growth, combined with an acceleration in net system growth, an efficient cost base driving further margin expansion and the ongoing return of surplus capital to shareholders, delivered adjusted EPS growth of 13%.
“We had record levels of development activity with almost 200 hotel openings in the first half. This drove net system growth of 5% and expanded our global estate to 7,100 hotels. Our pipeline grew to 2,400 hotels with increases in all three regions and 352 signings in total – almost two a day – representing +8% growth year-on-year.”
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