Gulf Construction Online - Hotel experts to discuss downturn

Expo News

Moore ... show a useful barometer.

Hotel experts to discuss downturn

01 April 2010

HOTEL industry experts will discuss strategies for dealing with the economic downturn during a conference being held alongside next month’s Hotel Show in Dubai, UAE.

The session on innovative management in challenging times will be part of The Seven Star Conference which is part of The Hotel Show, taking place from May 18 to 20 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Running alongside FM Expo, The Hotel Show is divided into four zones: interiors and design; operating equipment and supplies; security and technology; and The Resort Experience, and includes Hotel Spa, an important sector with more than 60 per cent of all spa activity in the Middle East taking place in hotels.
Being held alongside the show is the Middle East Spa Summit.
“The show provides a useful barometer for the industry on how equipment, materials and service suppliers, marketing and sales strategies are being affected by the uncertain economic climate,” says exhibition director Maggie Moore.
She continues: “Though the global economic recovery remains uncertain, new hotels are continuing to open up across the Middle East. Dubai-based research company Proleads has said that the GCC is likely to see 48 new hotels with 14,178 rooms open in 2010, at an estimated cost of $7.3 billion.
“While much of the attention has focused on the impact of the downturn on the hospitality sector, the UAE continues to be one of the world’s active areas for hotel openings. The UAE alone has over 5,700 rooms coming to market in 2010. Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are also seeing increased activity, with the Saudi Arabian hospitality sector looking set to grow in tandem with inbound travel on the up. It is forecast that there will be another 21 hotels with 7,000 rooms in Saudi Arabia by 2013, 2,000 of which will open this year.”
“A total of 1,961 new hotel rooms are expected to be added to the Qatar hospitality market during this year, with a total of 21 new hotels coming online by 2013.”