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Hotels regenerate in a changing world The hotel industry has demonstrated its agility in response to pandemicdriven trends, with many establishments being forced to implement innovative changes to meet their guests’ needs and expectations. A panel of experienced hoteliers outlined how they had reinvented their hospitality offering on Day 3 of this year’s first Hotel Industry Summit and agreed that at the top of the agenda in the foreseeable future was adapting to the high priority for people to feel safe and enjoy new experiences whether travelling for business meetings, to work, for leisure or to temporarily live abroad. Mark Kirby, Head of Hospitality, Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “I think what’s changing in the hotels now is that people are really wanting to feel safe. You also hear of revenge tourism, where people are wanting to come out and do something different. So, our staycations have adapted to have experiences within them.” He shared that he has witnessed a shift in demand towards larger suites to accommodate families on staycations or those who wished to stay for longer periods. Jochem-Jan Sleiffer, President of Hilton in the Middle East, Africa & Turkey, stated that the group’s hotels would continue to focus on safety and had therefore also altered the design of its lobbies. Sleiffer said: “I think the
lobbies have traditionally been a place where people would just wait for a taxi or wait for a friend. In countries which are opening, we have seen people anxious to get out again and conduct business meetings and one-on-one meetings or just have a place to work. So our new lobbies are a far more interactive place to actually do those things.”
The session’s other panelists, Fettah Tamince, Founder and Chairman of Rixos Hotels, and Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality, discussed the importance of creating community in locations where their hotels operated and also highlighted the value of establishing multi-use facilities to cater to a range of travellers.
Diriyah cultural tourism project to attract 27 million visitors annually As part of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors, such as tourism, a seven-square-kilometre cultural tourism project is taking shape 15 minutes north-west of Riyadh. The project will see the historic city of Diriyah transformed into one of the world’s foremost historic cultural tourism destinations, featuring world-class entertainment, retail, hospitality, educational, office and residential assets with a diverse collection of museums and cultural institutes and a bustling retail heart. Riyadh’s new premium dining precinct will open later this year within the existing Bujairi district, offering multiple dining brands catering to all types of tastes, from fine dining venues to relaxed family eateries. Each of these outlets will be set against uninterrupted views of At-Turaif, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is also regarded as the birthplace of the kingdom. Upon completion, the development will add US$7 billion to the kingdom’s GDP, provide 55,000 job opportunities and attract 27 million visitors annually. Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate
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Development Authority (DGDA), said: “As we pass the historic milestone of the fifth anniversary of the launch of the ambitious Vision 2030, DGDA is delighted to confirm that several key milestones have already been met. “As we move from our planning and inception phases into the more detailed delivery phase of our ambitious master plans over the next three years, we are in a robust position, working with a combination of incredible local Saudi talent as well as leading international specialists and firms. “Having successfully completed our overall strategic phase, in addition to having our hotel programme finalised across 29 of the world’s leading hospitality operators and more than 18 world-class F&B brands confirmed for Bujairi Dining Precinct, we are on time, on track and on budget with our ambitious goals. All of this places us in a unique position to contribute heavily towards the kingdom’s national tourism target of achieving 100 million tourists to Saudi Arabia by 2030, with our aim to attract over a quarter of these to Diriyah.” VISIT STAND ME4410, ME4440, ME4408
5/18/21 8:23 PM
