Reed Travel Exhibitions,
organiser of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM)
showcase in Dubai, which will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from
28 April – 1 May 2019, has announced that it will host the first ATM
Hotel Industry Summit as part of its line-up of special events.
The inaugural summit,
scheduled to take place on Tuesday 30th April on the Global Stage,
will see various panels of experts discuss the latest hotel infrastructure
developments, investment opportunities and digital innovations which are
shaping the region’s ever-changing industry.
The UAE’s hospitality market
is expected to be worth $7.6 billion annually by 2022, growing at a five-year
Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.5% between 2017 and 2022, driven by
Dubai’s Expo 2020, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and various other government
initiatives to boost travel and tourism across the region.
Over the same period, hotel
supply is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6% to 183,718 keys, according to
research published in a report by Alpen Capital.
In addition to this, STR data
shows that the GCC is expecting an additional 58,761 hotel rooms to enter the
market in 2019. The leading contributors are the UAE with 31,517 rooms (53%) in
the pipeline; Saudi Arabia with 24,170 (41%); and Oman with 2,984 (5%).
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, with the
UAE leading the way as it gears up for Expo 2020 which is now less than two
years away.
“Dubai’s hotel supply alone
is expected to reach 132,000 in 2019, with the emirate aiming to complete
160,000 hotel rooms by October 2020 – in time to welcome 25 million visitors
for Expo 2020.”
The summit will get underway with a session on ‘Regional Development and
Investment Hotspots’, highlighting buoyant destinations in the Middle East and
explaining the factors behind their underlying growth. This market intelligence
will be essential for hotel professionals, management companies, owners and
investors – particularly with major infrastructure projects stacking up across
the Gulf.
The second session of the day will discuss ‘The New Normal – Digital
Transformation Secrets Revealed’, in which panelists will show how hotel groups
can boost revenues and guest personalisation by implementing the latest
technological tools.
Digital
now dominates all facets of modern life including hospitality, from reservations,
pre-arrival messages and mobile check-in, to mobile keys, in-room preferences
and experiences, upgrades and check-outs.
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.
“Hoteliers
have been cautious of technology taking away the human touch from the guest
service and overall experience. However, by giving guests the autonomy to choose
at each touch point during their hotel stay, hoteliers can learn the right
balance between staff interaction and AI-powered, automated customer service,”
Curtis said.
Rounding off the first summit
will be a discussion on ‘New Hospitality Concepts Making Waves in the Middle
East’, as operators target a wider range of visitors and aim to meet the needs
of modern travellers, many of whom are yearning for more authentic experiences.
Curtis
added: “Highlighting the opportunities that will drive the next era of
hospitality in the region, the inaugural ATM Hotel Industry Summit is an
exciting addition to what is now a comprehensive 360 industry showcase.
“As
well as providing intelligence, insight and advice to attendees, the summit
will also help focus minds on the upcoming infrastructure developments,
investment opportunities and digital innovations that will continue to shape
the industry over the next decade.
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.
