· UAE hotels averaged 51.7% occupancy
in 2020
· Fujairah & RAK hotels increase
Y-on-Y; ADR at +7% & +1% respectively, in 2020
· Dubai hotels record 76%
occupancy over NYE, just 9% down Y-on-Y
· Arabian Travel Market Hotel Summit to discuss trends & key drivers for ME hotels in ‘new normal’
Recent hospitality industry
reports and analysis published by STR and Colliers International, have revealed
that hotels in the UAE have put up a sterling performance, given the challenges
of operating during the pandemic last year.
To support the hotel industry
still further during the vaccine rollout, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which
will take place in-person at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) 16-19 May
2021, is organising a Hotel Summit on Tuesday 18th May.
The event will address and
debate the trends and key drivers that will support the Middle East’s hotel
sector’s recovery, as the vaccine rollout gathers momentum and herd immunity
takes effect.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME,
Arabian Travel Market, said, “According to STR data, the Middle East region was
a top performer globally during 2020, with average occupancy of 45.9%. One of
best-performing countries was the UAE with an average occupancy of 51.7% and an
average daily rate (ADR) of $114.
“Although these figures were
29.3% & 16.5% down Y-on-Y, given the challenges presented by the pandemic,
it is a remarkable achievement and proves just how resilient the hotel sector
is in the UAE and wider Middle East.
“Furthermore, if we drill down
on these figures, ADR in Fujairah and RAK actually rose last year by 7% and 1%
respectively, compared with 2019 and over the New Year’s celebrations hotels in
Dubai were running average occupancies of 76% with an ADR of $300.
“I am certain that many
hoteliers in the Middle East are now preparing for a V-shaped recovery,
especially with the successful rollout of the vaccine and the ensuing herd
immunity” added Curtis.
Indeed, more positives can be
drawn from a recent YouGov luxury survey which
revealed that more than half (52%) of the respondents said they were planning
to take a domestic holiday or staycation during 2021 and a further 25% were
planning to make a business trip, either domestically or internationally, with
only 4% having no plans to travel anywhere in 2021.
“Moreover, UK Prime Minister
Boris Johnson has also indicated that British nationals may be allowed to
travel without any restrictions as soon as June 21st, which, given their close
ties would be a major boost for business and leisure travel throughout the
Middle East,” added Curtis.
Initially, two sessions will take place at the Hotel Summit on ATM’s Global Stage, the first will address the changing roles of hotels, such as workations and changing guest expectations and the second discussion will look into the issue of enhancing the hospitality experience, while introducing technological innovation.
Expert panelists will include
Marloes Knippenberg, CEO, Kerten Hospitality, Mark Kirby, COO, Emaar
Hospitality, Jose Silva, CEO, Jumeirah Group, Guido De Wilde, Chief Operating
Officer, Marriott International in the Middle East and
Stefan Leser, CEO, Langham Hospitality, amongst others.
A further session will take
place during ATM’s virtual event on Tuesday 25th May, when a panel
of experts will examine whether wellness and sustainability trends, will be
accelerated during the post-pandemic recovery.
Now in its 28th
year and working in collaboration with DWTC and Dubai’s Department of Tourism
and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), the theme of the show will be ‘A new dawn
for travel and tourism’ and the spotlight will be thrown onto the current state
of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds. It will also look
at the emerging trends and how innovation can drive the industry forward.
ATM 2021
will also play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week and for the first time, a new
hybrid format will be in place. This means an additional virtual ATM will be
organised to run the following week, which will complement the in-person event by
accommodating visitors who may be unable to travel to Dubai. The inaugural ATM Virtual 2020 attracted 12,000 online attendees from 140 countries, over three days.
ATM 2021’s strategic partners include Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) as Destination Partner, Emaar Hospitality Group as Official Hotel Partner and Emirates as Official Airline Partner.
Dubai is one of the
safest cities in the world to visit with a wide range of precautionary measures
in place to ensure the safety of tourists at
every stage and touchpoint of their travel journey, from arrival to
departure. Dubai’s commitment to
maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and safety and its effective
citywide management of the pandemic received a strong endorsement from the
World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which gave the city a ‘Safe Travels’
stamp.
For more news about ATM, please visit: https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/
