When the crisis is at its worst, Petter Stordalen chooses to open a series of new hotels. A vaccine could mean an almost normal summer for the hotel and travel industry, he claims.
”I will take the first available vaccine myself,” he says.
On the phone, Stordalen counts out loud:
”We have a hotel at Friends Arena, there will be another one in Mölndal in Gothenburg and then we have another one in Helsingborg.”
All are examples of the new hotel ventures that the Norwegian is now launching, a total of four will open in Sweden in 2021 and a total of eleven are under construction.
To outsiders, it may seem like pure madness. In the midst of a second wave of the pandemic, when the hotel industry is bleeding and, for example, competitor Scandic recently reported an average occupancy rate in November of around 20 percent, Stordalen continues his investment in the hotel group Nordic Choice at the same time as the travel company Ving, in which he is a co-owner, has had an extremely tough time.
”"We continue to invest and as recently as today I was talking to people who have been newly hired at one of these hotels. Once you start a project, it can't be stopped by a crisis. These are hotels that will be there for 50–100 years and we have always been long-term and kept our promises."”
According to Stordalen himself, the pandemic will result in a loss of sales of around SEK 6.5 billion for 2020 as a whole. He also does not expect any turnaround in the first quarter of 2021.
”"We expect a sales drop of around 70 percent for January-February compared to 2019, which was a normal year, and around 60 percent in March," the Norwegian tells TT.
”"It's about how long it takes before a vaccine is in place and what restrictions will apply from authorities. But the hotel and travel industry will come back and what we are doing now is preparing ourselves.".
When it comes to the aviation industry, he is positive and draws parallels to how developments looked after September 11:
”"When the corona is over, it will be cheaper to fly than ever. All the flights that are on the hill will take to the air and I think it will start very quickly," he claims.
Stordalen points out that the second wave of infections has brought new challenges, especially for the restaurant industry, which has had to close in Norway and the ban on alcohol sales in Sweden after a certain time.
”"There will be a number of different companies that will not survive," he says, choosing to take the opportunity to ask whether Norwegian is one of them.
Even if private travel recovers, isn't there an obvious risk that companies will opt out of conferences at your hotels when they discover that it's just as easy to meet digitally?
”I don’t think the need for physical meetings has ever been greater. We are social beings and you can’t build a culture through the Zoom program. In the beginning it was exciting but now people are so tired of this and waiting for the day when you can meet people. That’s what I personally miss the most – the meeting.”
For his part, Stordalen takes the pandemic as seriously as possible. He wears a face mask and says he has been tested for coronavirus 10-12 times, most recently a few days ago, and even then the test result was negative.
”"As I know Sweden, it is a country with order," he says about how the vaccine distribution itself will proceed.”
”"Vaccine is voluntary but I will take the first vaccine available, whether it is made by Astra, Pfizer or Moderna. I completely trust the authorities."”
Are you yourself afraid of getting infected?
”"I'm not afraid, but I have respect and I do everything to minimize the risk of getting infected. I don't go to restaurants and out among people, it's to show respect and help us solve this pandemic."”
Source: TT
