In this 1TourismWorld session, Plato Ghinos, President of Shaner Hotels, joins Glenn Tyranski of 1BusinessWorld for a conversation on what international growth requires from hotel brands. Ghinos explains that expansion succeeds when companies match ambition with operating discipline, local execution, and a clear understanding of where travel demand is moving. He frames that perspective through the growth of Shaner Hotels, which operates across 18 states, has international presence in the Bahamas, Italy, and Greece, has entered the United Arab Emirates through an alliance, owns and manages 74 properties, and has six properties under active development.

The conversation places hotel growth within a wider global tourism surge. Ghinos notes that worldwide travel has moved above 1.5 billion travelers and that spending is approaching $2 trillion, with strong momentum in places many operators once treated as secondary markets, including Africa and Southern Europe. He argues that the strategic task is to identify where travelers and business activity are heading, then select the right market, the right location, and the right brand. That decision has become more complex as major hotel companies manage more than 30 brands and as travelers increasingly seek lifestyle properties that deliver both brand assurance and more distinctive experiences.

Ghinos also makes clear that growth depends on far more than development volume. Service remains the heart of the hotel business, which means training, culture, and employee empowerment directly shape the guest experience. Technology has accelerated operating visibility from monthly reporting to near real time feedback, yet hospitality still depends on human judgment and responsiveness. Partnerships strengthen international execution by combining hotel expertise with local knowledge on regulation, entitlement, and market realities. That same disciplined approach informs development around Ohio State, the Cleveland Browns training facility, Kansas City, and Rhodes, while larger shifts in Africa, Saudi Arabia, and World Cup related demand show why leaders need to stay flexible because the operating playbook can change quickly from one week to the next.