Catalysts of Change including the shift in global economic powers, demographics and ageing populations, and the impact of digitisation were some of the hot topics discussed live on stage during the opening sessions of the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2017 (AHIC), being held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai from 25-27 April, 2017 and organised by Bench Events and MEED.
The global megatrends are set to have a profound and disruptive effect on the Middle East travel and tourism industry, says a new PwC report. According to PwC, the five global megatrends that are widely believed to be shaping the future of our world are: demographic shifts and social change, a shift in global economic power, accelerating urbanisation, climate change and resource scarcity, and the rise of technology.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced plans to expand Hyatt's brand footprint in the Middle East and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with the signing of management agreements by a Hyatt affiliate for 14 Hyatt-branded hotels across the Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Centric, Hyatt Place, and Hyatt House brands. There are currently 14 Hyatt-branded hotels open in the Middle East and GCC, and the expected openings of these 14 Hyatt-branded hotels would double Hyatt's brand presence in the region within the next few years.
DAMAC Properties, a leading luxury real estate developer in the region, today announced that the highly-anticipated DAMAC Maison Royale The Distinction, located in Dubai"s prestigious Downtown district, is set to open in June. The new ultra-luxury five-star hotel, to be operated by DAMAC"s premium hotel operator, DAMAC Maison Royale, provides luxury hospitality and accommodation where guests can indulge in a unique leisure and relaxation experience in the city of dreams.
DAMAC Properties, a leading luxury real estate developer in the region, today announced that DAMAC Maison Bay"s Edge will open in May 2017. Strategically located in Business Bay - the heart of the business, dining and shopping district of Dubai, the plush hotel with 250 keys will be the the ideal place for business and leisure travelers alike.
Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties, unveiled six new hotel projects as part of its regional and international expansion plans, at the Arabian Travel Market 2017.
Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) continues to strengthen its position across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, with projected growth across 38 countries and 150,000 rooms, operational and pipeline, by 2022. The new additions will bolster Marriott International's existing collection of 247 hotels and 54,000 rooms in 30 countries across the region.
HMH - Hospitality Management Holding is all set for a strong presence at Arabian Travel Market 2017 (ATM). Mr Ferghal Purcell, COO of HMH, said, "We have a number of strategic announcements lined up for ATM this year that is the MENA region's largest B2B travel and tourism show. It gives us the perfect opportunity to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business with the global travel trade. Twenty-three years in the running, ATM 2017 promises to be bigger and better bringing together travel professionals from 86 countries and regions to Dubai, and we are proud to be part of it again - for the 14th year in a row." Experiential Travel, encompassing the adventure, culture, heritage, wellness & spa and cruise tourism segments, which is currently trending globally, has been adopted as the official show theme of ATM. Mr Purcell, said, "HMH is well placed to offer its guests unique experiences. At HMH we understand the needs of our various travelers and their category requirements, and thereby provide them with international standards combined with local flavor across different market segments."Elaborating on the location of HMH stand Mr Purcell stated, "This year we have got an outstanding stand location is in the center of the aisle with an equally stunning design that is being customized to meet the unique needs of our various hotels namely - The Ajman Palace Hotel, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, Coral Dubai Deira Hotel, Coral Beirut Al Hamra Hotel, Coral Muscat Hotel & Apartments, Corp Amman Hotel, Coral Al Ahsa Hotel, Coral Jubail Hotel, Coral Khartoum Hotel, Coral Port Sudan Hotel and EWA Khartoum Hotel & Apartments. We want our stand to be an experiential destination for our business partners and associates where they can get a true feel of our brands as well as our fabulous portfolio of existing and upcoming hotels." Visit HMH stand HC0530 during the Arabian Travel Market from 24-27 April, 2017, in Sheikh Saeed Arena at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
With more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Marc de Ruijter joins Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach as General Manager; in charge of overseeing the entire operation of the hotel. De Ruijter is no stranger to the Sofitel brand or Dubai, having previously been Hotel Manager at Sofitel Dubai The Palm.
The hotel industry in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, recorded strong occupancy levels during the first quarter of 2017 despite continued and significant supply growth, according to data from STR.Based on preliminary data, Dubai recorded an occupancy level of 86.3%, which was a 2.7% uplift compared with Q1 2016. Average daily rate (ADR) was down 6.4% over the same time period to an actual level of AED795.00. As a result, revenue per available room (RevPAR) decreased 3.9% to AED686.00. Because Dubai has seen two years with consistent RevPAR declines, STR analysts see the Q1 occupancy growth as an indicator of performance recovery. "A factor that likely played a big role in Dubai's occupancy growth was the UAE government's recent decisions to grant visas on arrival for Chinese and Russian nationals," said Philip Wooller, STR's area director for the Middle East and Africa. "While Dubai continues to add new supply, it also continues to add new leisure attractions, and expanding the market's range of potential visitors can only help drive hotel demand and profitability."Occupancy increases were mainly pushed by the middle and lower tier hotel classes. Dubai's Midscale and Economy classes experienced a combined 7.2% year-over-year increase in occupancy, while Luxury hotels posted more moderate growth of 0.7%. Upper Upscale hotels reported a 1.1% decline. STR analysts note that the Midscale and Economy classes experienced less substantial supply growth compared with other classes during Q1, although the Upper Midscale class, which recorded the highest rate of supply growth (+13.9%), also posted a substantial increase in occupancy (+6.7%).
Jasmine Arika, Director of Marketing and Communications at Amwaj Rotana Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, has been promoted to the position of Cluster Director where she will additionally manage the marketing for Centro Barsha in Dubai.
Hilton Dubai has welcomed Ahmed El-Bassyouni as the cluster director of business development for its three hotels in Dubai. With over 15 years’ experience in the UK and UAE, El-Bassyouni has spent the last seven years with Hilton Worldwide. The UK national first arrived in Dubai in 2012 as the cluster director of revenue for the cluster of the three Hilton properties in Dubai, before which he worked as a cluster revenue manager for the company in the UK. El-Bassyouni is returning to Hilton Dubai from the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, where he was leading a team of 18 employees as the director of business development.
Swiss-Belhotel International has appointed Laurent A. Voivenel as its senior vice president, operations and development for the Middle East, Africa and India.
Ahead of next week's Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2017 (AHIC), being held at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai from April 25 to 27, its speakers have unveiled insights into the global trends and market sentiment that are currently making an impact on the hospitality industry across the Middle East.
As of February 2017, all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have signed the Unified Value Added Tax (VAT) Agreement. The framework will form the basis for national legislation, which will be introduced in each GCC country. Although there has been very limited official information released regarding the specifics of how the VAT system to be introduced will operate, the expectation is that the GCC Countries will replicate a lot of the features of the European Union VAT System. In the latest Special Market Report from Horwath HTL, Kim Drubbel, Managing Director of Horwath HTL UAE and Oman, explores whether the introduction of VAT might be a limitation for the industry and not in the interest of the sector's sustained growth prospects.
Expanding its footprint in the hospitality sector, Dubai-based The First Investor group, a subsidiary of Al Fardan Group, announced the purchase of the Carlton Downtown hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. Formerly the Warwick Hotel, it is the third hotel to be operated by Carlton Hotel Management - a brand owned by The First Investor, and the ninth in the group's collection of hotels.
AccorHotels is to rebrand a property on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai as the Mercure Dubai Barsha Heights Hotel Suites & Apartments.
Central Hotels has signed an agreement with Dynamic Hospitality to operate and manage food and beverage outlets at its upcoming properties in Palm Jumeirah and Business Bay. Making the announcement, Mr Ammar Kanaan, General Manager of Central Hotels, said, "We are delighted to appoint Dynamic Hospitality, represented by Mr Saleh Al Aroud, who is the Chairman of the company, to manage the F&B outlets at our 1st property in Palm Jumeirah and the 1st property in Business Bay. Dubai offers one of the most vibrant and rapidly evolving dining sector. We are confident Dynamic Hospitality, with its distinctive quality and innovative concepts, will prove to be instrumental in developing and positioning our hotels as dining destinations in this extremely competitive environment."
STR's preliminary March 2017 data for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, indicates performance consistent with significant growth in both supply and demand. Based on daily data from March, Dubai reported the following in year-over-year comparisons:
Fernandez has extensive global luxury five-star experiences; he joins Fairmont The Palm from Roya International where he operated as a special projects executive driving projects in hospitality development, corporate operations strategy and project management.