Accor Becomes The Principal Sponsor of France's 37th America's Cup Squad

Accor - Principal Sponsor of France's 37th America's Cup Squad

* An Orient Express-sponsored yacht will compete in the 37th America's Cup, the premier worldwide sailing competition.

* On board the AC75 yacht, Quentin Delapierre, an international sailing superstar, will lead the Orient Express Team.

* EVERY – Accor Live Unlimited – Through 2024, Accor's loyalty programme and digital platform will also be the worldwide sponsor of the France SailGP Team.

February 2023 in Paris, France:

Accor, a global leader in the hotel industry, said recently that Orient Express, a renowned travel company founded in 1883, would sponsor the French team participating in the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona in 2024. The America's Cup is the oldest international sports prize and one of the most audacious and renowned athletic events in the world. Accor's sponsorship demonstrates the Group's growing involvement in the high seas and follows the recent launch of the world's largest leisure sailing ship, Orient Express Silenseas, which will be constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique, a world-leading shipbuilding company located in Saint-Nazaire, France.

Quentin Delapierre will captain the Orient Express-sponsored yacht.

Through its loyalty programme & digital platform ALL-Accor Live Limitless, the firm is also the worldwide sponsor of the France SailGP Team. This cooperation started in January 2023 with the Singapore Sail Grand Prix and will continue until the conclusion of the 2024 season for all global events. SailGP is regarded as the most thrilling sailing competition in the world, since it features the most spectacular races on the fastest catamarans.

"In accordance with our worldwide commitments to eco-responsibility, Accor is advancing its objectives to become a significant partner in fostering excellence and driving innovation, while continuing to support the French sailing teams. All of us at Accor are driven by enthusiasm, adventure, and teamwork, which is why sailing resonates so strongly with us,"

said Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor.

"At 172 years old, the America's Cup is a sailing icon. It is the obvious option for Orient Express's first sponsorship of a competitive boat, given its illustrious history and tireless pursuit of greatness."

France is back in the America's Cup with the finest possible means thanks to Accor.The Orient Express-sponsored boat, an AC75, will be constructed in Brittany, France, beginning in April of this year and concluding in the spring of 2024. Due to a technical relationship with Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), Orient Express Team will participate on equal footing with its rivals in the Challenger Selection Series in September 2024, and will attempt to meet the ETNZ Defender in the finals.

As with the building of the Orient Express Silenseas, the high-tech project will boost the French economy and nautical sector. The same shipbuilders that constructed the Orient Express Silenseas will contribute to the building of the AC75 vessel. Collectively, these programmes encourage innovation, capacity, and technical superiority in France.

A partnership founded on mutual principles

Orient Express is driving the luxury and tourism industries into the future by reimagining maritime history in an ambitious and new manner. The brand is devoted to using its extensive history to produce one-of-a-kind experiences that push the boundaries of what is possible. The iconic hospitality brand has consistently topped the race for excellence for the last 140 years by offering one-of-a-kind and customised travel experiences.

The Orient Express has an equivalent in the athletic world with the French sailing teams competing for the America's Cup, which is a stunning celebration of human and technical perfection that brings together the finest sailing talent to achieve the impossible.

Accor is sponsoring the America's Cup, the Youth America's Cup, and the newly created Women's America's Cup through Orient Express and ALL – Accor Live Limitless.

America's Cup, like Accor in the hotel industry and beyond, fosters the development of young talent and promotes gender equality. The boat sponsored by Orient Express will compete in both the women's and men's Cups. Accor is happy to encourage female sailors in a formerly male-dominated sport and is pleased to participate in the event at this juncture in its history.

The relationship will also enable Accor's guests and loyalty members to explore the finest in sailing, technology, and sport through a vector of experiences and possibilities. This experience aspect of the brand is a key development pillar for the Group. Members of a loyalty programme will get privileged access to these events (access to new experiences with the team at SailGP events around the world and unique behind-the-scenes moments with access to the team as they prepare for the biggest challenges of their careers).

"We are ecstatic and honoured to wear the colours of Orient Express, a classic Accor brand and a globally renowned name. Orient Express has strong links to France and has been a travel specialist since 1883, according to K-founder Challenge's and CEO, Stephan Kandler. Accor has made a worldwide and ambitious commitment that will enable our sport-tech platform K-Challenge, which I co-lead with my visionary co-owner Bruno Dubois, to participate in many sports and technology initiatives that celebrate French knowledge, talent, and innovation. Our mission is to transform the sailing world."

Fostering innovation and sustainability

Participation in the America's Cup and SailGP is in accordance with Accor's worldwide commitments to eco-responsibility in the tourism industry and to be an environmental pioneer in the marine industry.

Accor has a history of supporting water-based initiatives, aligns its relationships with its own ESG objectives, and aims to create a sustainable future for the hospitality industry. Energy Observer, the world's first autonomous zero-emission hydrogen ship, has been backed by Accor since 2017. The ship's aim is to create sustainable solutions and raise awareness about ecological transition challenges. The team behind this partnership is also developing green sailing technology, which will be included into the design of the boat sponsored by Orient Express.

As another demonstration of Accor's dedication to the preservation of oceans, the Orient Express Silenseas has been specially constructed to promote sustainable sailing. The ship will be equipped with "weather routing" technologies that optimise routes based on winds and currents, as well as a variety of environmentally friendly and sustainable systems. Accor has long been a pioneer in producing sustainable travel experiences and investing in technology that allow environmentally friendly hospitality solutions.

As part of its environmental commitments, Accor collaborates closely with Amundi and the Fondation de la Mer (Sea Foundation), which has developed a framework to assist companies in measuring their impacts and implementing positive changes, with the aim of conserving the oceans and seas and utilising marine resources in a sustainable manner.