As travel demand soars, I think this FTSE 100 stock is poised to take off

With low capital expenses and high switching costs, Stephen Wright thinks this FTSE 100 stock could win big as holiday bookings soar.

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Key Points

  • Unlike TUI and International Consolidated Airlines, InterContinental Hotels has an asset-light business model.
  • This allows the company to outsource expenses to its franchisees, keeping costs under control.
  • The company also benefits from high switching costs, making it difficult for its franchisees to move to a competitor.

Travel demand this year is looking good. With that in mind, I’m looking at travel stocks. Some of the most obvious FTSE 100 candidates include TUI (LSE:TUI) and International Consolidated Airlines (LSE:IAG). But I believe that there’s a more attractive way to take advantage of the surge in holiday bookings.

The stock catching my eye is hotel chain InterContinental Hotels Group (LSE:IHG). Investing in any travel-related company carries risk. Increasing restrictions to travel arising from either the pandemic or the ongoing conflict in Ukraine could negatively impact travel stocks across the board. But here’s why I think that InterContinental is the best way for me to cash in on the return to international travel as an investor.

Business model

InterContinental has an asset-light business model. Instead of owning the buildings that its hotels are in, the company uses a franchise model. Independent operators pay InterContinental a fee to use its branding and become part of its network.

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This gives InterContinental very good control over its costs. During the pandemic, this was particularly important. Where companies such as TUI and IAG had to pay costs to maintain their aircraft and staff, InterContinental was able to leave this to its franchisees.

The benefit of this manifests itself in InterContinental’s financial statements. InterContinental makes more money than TUI or IAG while having lower fixed costs. Moreover, while total debt at TUI and IAG has increased by around 300% since 2018, InterContintental’s debt is only up around 50%.

Switching costs

In my view, InterContinental has another big advantage over its FTSE 100 rivals. Unlike TUI and IAG, InterContinental’s business benefits from high switching costs.

Switching costs at TUI and IAG are low. If I book a holiday with IAG, for example, this doesn’t automatically give me an incentive to do it again. It’s easy for me to shop around for my next holiday and find the best deal, even if that’s somewhere else.

With InterContinental, though, things are different. Its network of franchisees are typically tied into contracts that last between 20 and 30 years, making it expensive for them to leave.

Furthermore, switching to a different chain is costly for the hotel operator. Moving away from InterContinental to a competitor involves renovating and rebranding, which is expensive. As a result, franchisees have an incentive to stay with them in a way that TUI and IAG customers do not.

Conclusion

Overall, I think that InterContinental Hotels is a much more attractive way to take advantage of the surge in holiday bookings than either TUI or IAG. In my view, the company has a stronger business model and a better balance sheet than its FTSE 100 rivals. I’m keeping the stock firmly on my watchlist for now and I’ll be looking to take advantage of any weakness in the share price as a chance to start an investment.

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Should you invest, the value of your investment may rise or fall and your capital is at risk. Before investing, your individual circumstances should be assessed. Consider taking independent financial advice.

Stephen Wright has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended InterContinental Hotels Group. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

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