With its first-half operating profits higher than expectations, Accor plans to increase its hospitality global footprint, set to open over 200 hotels in 2010.

Accor has already opened 93 hotels in the first six months of the year, 39 per cent of these in Europe and 22 per cent in Asia, feeding the company’s financial growth.

The hotel group posted a 5.1 per cent growth in hotels revenue for the year to June 30, the recovery of the first quarter “gaining momentum” in the second.

The upscale and mid-scale market grew a combined 6.7 per cent over the same period last year while the economy segment increased by 5.5 per cent.

Accor has catered to this growth of the price-conscious traveller market with 40 per cent of the 93 hotels Accor has opened this year, in the economy segment.

Growth was led by higher occupancy rates globally, but in the economy segment particularly was solid, producing a 5.5 per cent revenue rise, like-for-like.

“The Economy Hotels outside the US segment showed greater resistance to the economic downturn in 2009, because it is less dependent on business travellers than the Upscale and Midscale segment,” Accor said.

“In most countries and particularly in Europe, first-half good performances reflected an upturn in business and a favourable basis of comparison.

“Second half visibility remains limited, due to the still uncertain economic environment.”