IHG CEO Sees U.S. Travel 'Bounce Back,' Targets Asia for Expansion

IHG’s confidence in domestic U.S. travel and bullish outlook on China suggest it’s more focused on geographic diversification than short-term headwinds. Its message: the turbulence is real, but not enough to stop the long-haul growth.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) CEO Elie Maalouf is playing down early-year turbulence in U.S. inbound travel, pointing to a rebound from Europe and signs the summer season is on solid footing.

"We recognize that there was a lot of turbulence, starting in February, then in March, but we see things settling down," Maalouf said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. "There's renewed optimism. [...] Travel seems to push through a lot of the geopolitical concerns."

IHG saw a dip in transatlantic bookings in March — a trend Maalouf