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Feature - Hospitality
Building resilience
Leading industry figureheads highlight the hospitality landscape in the Middle East and discuss their vision for the future of the industry
According to a recent report by hotel market intelligence and global benchmarking company STR, the development of new hotels is on the rise in the Middle East, with prime tourist destinations such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman leading the way. Despite the pandemic headwinds that the global hospitality industry has had to contend with, the future of the hotel industry in the region looks bright. In fact, for many travel and tourism businesses, the pandemic served as an opportunity to build back better. “While the pandemic has transformed the hospitality industry, it has also made us quicker to adapt to changes and become more resilient in the face of unprecedented times,” said Mark Kirby, Head of Hospitality, Emaar Hospitality Group. “Our region was one of the first to revive the tourism industry and this was a result of the efficient response from the government while the hotel
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industry has been outstanding in redesigning guest experiences to incorporate factors like safety, wellness, sustainability and digitisation.” Now, with travel restrictions and COVID-19 regulations continuing to ease at a rapid pace across the globe, Kirby added that the “reopening of travel and tourism around the world has accelerated the revival of the hospitality industry” with the Middle East paving the path to recovery. THE ROAD TO RECOVERY “The pandemic has drastically impacted the world’s economies and changed consumer habits significantly. Since 2021, however, the hospitality sector in this region has been recovering quickly and, today, more than ever, is thriving,” said Guy Hutchinson, President & CEO, Rotana. “The growth has been supported by an increasing number of key international feeder markets reopening their borders and rolling out effective COVID-19
vaccination programmes. In particular, the impact of Expo has had a very substantial effect on recovery in the UAE, especially for the hospitality industry.” During the mega event’s six-month run, Expo 2020 Dubai welcomed more than 24 million local, regional and international visitors, highlighting that global events can safely and efficiently take place even amid a pandemic. Hutchinson added: “Expo came at the perfect time, when demand for a return to international travel peaked and the UAE was already successfully established as a safe, COVID-protected and wellmanaged travel destination.” But the impact has been lasting as Hutchinson believes that the global exhibition also contributed to a greater level of awareness for the emirate of Dubai. “As we continue on the road to recovery, hotel performance remains extremely positive and we can be very optimistic for the future of the industry in the UAE and the wider region.”
Echoing the sentiment, Kirby pointed out that with the Middle East set to host more global events in 2022 and beyond, “it will continue to attract tourism in the region which will further grow our industry.” LOOKING AHEAD “2022 is a promising year for the hospitality industry with hotels’ outlook remaining positive across the GCC,” said Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President, Middle East and Africa. “After two incredibly hard years on people and companies around the globe, there is an overwhelming need to travel again, and the Middle East remains a very attractive destination as the host of leading global exhibitions and events.” Cordon also pointed out that as countries are relaxing their restrictions, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar are anticipating an influx of tourists. “More specifically, this year will welcome the highly anticipated FIFA
09/05/2022 7:55 PM
