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Technology and innovation to
headline Arabian Travel Market 2019
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Voice and facial recognition,
virtual reality (VR) and biometrics to be mainstream in hospitality industry by
2025
Cutting edge technology and
innovation will be adopted as the official show theme for Arabian Travel Market
(ATM) 2019, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May 2019.
According to the latest
research conducted by Colliers International, personalisation Artificial
Intelligence (AI) could increase hotel revenues by over 10 percent and reduce
costs by more than 15 percent – with hotel operators expecting technology such
as voice and facial recognition, virtual reality and biometrics to be
mainstream by 2025.
Further to this, the research
estimates 73 percent of manual activities in the hospitality industry have the
technical potential for automation, with many global hotel operators including Marriott,
Hilton, and Accor already investing in automating elements of their human
resources.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition
Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “It is important to highlight that the
GCC is one of the fastest growing regional hospitality markets on a global
scale and an innovative technology-reliant industry.
“Its impact on hotels and
travel and tourism is multi-dimensional, ranging from voice and facial
recognition, chatbots and beacon technology to virtual reality, blockchain and
robot concierge.
“Throughout ATM 2019, the
spotlight theme will be launched as a platform to create awareness and inspire
the travel and hospitality industry about the next generation of technology,
while bringing together senior travel executives to meet and conduct business
with innovative tech providers.”
While automation is forecast
to replace a large number of jobs, between 39 and 73 million in the US alone,
according to a study by McKinsey Global Institute, the report also states that
innovative technology will not be a purely negative disrupter.
New jobs will be created;
existing roles will be redefined; and workers will have the opportunity to
further their career with additional training. The challenge, therefore will be
preparing for and managing the transition between now and 2030.
Curtis said: “With
technologies like AI and automation quickly maturing, the hospitality and
travel and tourism industry must prepare for a wave of disruption in order to
reap the overall benefits of these technologies.
“Equipping workers with the
necessary skills and training and creating new tech-augmented jobs that can
assist with this innovative technology will be key to making this transition a
success.”
Discussing the defining evolutions of
hospitality technology, the Travel Tech Show will return to ATM 2019 with
dedicated international exhibitors and an influential agenda of discussion and
debate in the Travel Tech Theatre.
On the show floor, attendees will be able
to meet with exhibitors such as TravelClick, Amadeus IT Group, Travco
Corporation Ltd, The Booking Expert, Beta Travel, GT Beds and Global
Innovations International amongst many others.
Looking to the future, the
use of robots within the hospitality industry is becoming more commonplace with
Colliers predicting the global sale of guest relation robots to reach 66,000
units by 2020.
Deployed to improve guests’
overall experience in a hotel, these robots offer a range of uses from
artificially intelligent chatbots designed to assist with the customer service
process, through to robot concierge and butlers which have the ability to
deliver luggage, handle check-in and check-outs and deliver meals 24/7 to
guests efficiently.
In 2015 the world’s first robot-run
hotel opened in Japan. Henn-na Hotel features a multi-lingual animatronic
dinosaur at reception that helps with check-in and check-out as well as robot
porters and a giant mechanical arm that stores luggage in individual drawers.
“Hoteliers have been cautious
of technology taking away the human touch from the guest service and
experience. However, by giving guests the power to choose every part of their
hotel experience, hoteliers can learn the right balance between staff
interaction and AI-powered, automated customer service,” Curtis said.
“Hospitality is in the business of
selling experiences. With more and more AI innovations available for guests to
express both satisfaction and grievance, the influence of such technology and
the usage of social listening tools are expected to become standard as we move
closer to 2030.
“While a robot may not have a smile, it
can recognise faces, remember names and most importantly remember guest
preferences, characteristics and behaviours.”
ATM – considered by industry
professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism
sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event, showcasing the largest
exhibition in the history of the show, with hotels comprising 20% of the floor
area.
ATM 2019 will build on the success of
this year’s edition with a host of seminar sessions discussing the ongoing
unprecedented digital disruption, and the emergence of innovative technologies
that will fundamentally alter the way in which the hospitality industry operates
in the region.
Tags: ATM 2019 Danielle Curtis