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Staycations expected to become
the most popular choice of travel in short to medium-term with travellers eager
to make up for cancelled travel plans
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ATM Virtual’s Hotel
Landscape in a Post-COVID-19 World session to explore hotel landscape in the Middle East
post-COVID-19; outlining a road map to recovery for the
industry
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Debut ATM Virtual event will
take place on 1-3 June 2020
Local
tourism and domestic travel are expected to lead the UAE and wider GCC’s
recovery from COVID-19 as we begin to see the easing of lockdown restrictions,
according to the latest research released ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM)
Virtual, a newly-launched three-day event that will take place from 1-3 June
2020.
The research
from Colliers
International, in partnership with ATM, revealed the percentage of
bookings to Abu Dhabi within a 48km radius increased from just 20% in January
2020 to 43% in March. While, in Dubai, the percentage rose from 19% to 36%.
Adding to
this, research by Sojern, suggests staycations are expected to become the most
popular choice of travel in the short to medium-term, with data revealing hotel
bookings to Abu Dhabi within a 48km radius accounted for 77% of all bookings in
April and domestic travel from Dubai accounting for 91% of searches and
bookings within the same radius.
With
this in mind, ‘The
Hotel Landscape in a Post-COVID-19 World’ session taking place on Monday 1st June from 1.30 pm – 2.30
pm GST (10.30 am – 11.30 am BST), will focus on the hospitality industry,
exploring the profound impact of COVID-19 on the Middle East’s hotel
sector as well as outlining what the landscape is likely to look like when
travel resumes and what will be considered new ‘norms’ in terms of guest
behaviours and expectations.
Confirmed
session panellists will include Tim
Cordon,
Senior Area Vice President for Middle East & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group
and Christopher
Lund, Head of Hotels, Colliers International, Middle East &
North Africa, and will be moderated by Gemma
Greenwood.
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Christopher-Lund-head-of-hotels-colliers-international-mena |
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition
Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: "The global COVID-19 health
crisis severely impacted worldwide travel, tourism, events, and leisure
activities, with many people being forced to cancel or postpone their travel
plans in the first half of 2020. However, what we are now beginning to see is a
sense of pent up demand due to an eagerness among the larger populace to make
up for lost time and cancelled plans.
“Travellers
still want to go on holiday, but safety has become a top priority. As a result,
the staycation trend is expected to grow in the coming months, with residents
keen to take a break away from their home for a few days in a location that is
familiar to them, whilst flights are grounded, and international travel
restrictions still in place."
Families
and solo travellers are expected to be among the first market segments to start
travelling and making new reservations, according to the research from Colliers.
In addition, Millennials and Gen Z are being touted as the most eager to
travel, as they seek a change of scenery following long lockdown periods across
the globe.
In
preparation for the travel and tourism recovery - on a local, regional and international
level - it is crucial hospitality companies can provide future guests with
peace of mind by implementing and virtually showcasing the stringent hygiene
and deep cleaning procedures performed rigorously across their properties.
In
addition, the implementation of immersive technologies that provide potential
guests with virtual 3D tours of properties and their facilities, as well as
customised online booking experiences will be vital in helping hotels stand out
from their competitors.
“As travel
and tourism begins to return, it is crucial that hotels add value to their
existing offerings with incentives such as F&B discounts for in-house
guests, free upgrades and booking flexibility that enables free cancellation if
personal circumstances were to change as well as reinvented loyalty programmes
with increased offers and points in an attempt to stimulate demand through
their existing customer bases,” Curtis said.
Also
on the agenda, there will be a series of hospitality-focused roundtables including
‘Changing face of hotels in terms of
design and sanitisation,” which will discuss how hotels can effectively
integrate hygiene and new stringent cleaning protocols into key brand messaging
as well as exploring whether hygiene and safety will become more important for
guests than price, facilities, and services in the 'new normal' hotel
experience.
‘Changing
face of F&B travel’ will address the effects of COVID-19 on food-driven
travel in the region, and indeed across the globe. A panel of F&B experts
and influencers will explore how hotels can provide a safe middle-ground for
food adventures as well as the impact a lack of travel from GCC countries could
have on Asian food capitals.
‘The
Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel’ will discuss how personal space and
wellbeing peace of mind has become paramount, what impact this will have on
luxury family travel, from new preferential destinations and accommodation to
the factors shaping the decision-making process.
Curtis
said: "As well as addressing the impact the global health pandemic has had
on the hospitality industry, ATM Virtual, will discuss in-depth a road map to
recovery for the wider travel and tourism industry, identifying the trends and
opportunities that are likely to shape the future as well as the 'new normal'
that lies ahead.”
Over
the course of three days, the debut ATM Virtual will feature comprehensive
webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, and
one-to-one meetings, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a
wide range of online business opportunities.
ATM Virtual
takes place from Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To
register for the event as a visitor, please log on to: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/
