The Hotel Show Dubai 2021 opens as hospitality sector sees growth
Sheikh Ahmed is being briefed during his tour of The Hotel Show Dubai 2021 on Monday.
The 21st edition of The Hotel Show Dubai was inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, adding significance to the opening moment and underlining the importance of live events as an integral element of the region’s hospitality industry. Exhibitors included a selection of leading regional and international brands, with attendance from a raft of notable industry leaders who are participating in a full schedule of seminars, live competitions, conferences, and demonstrations, providing many networking possibilities and the exchange of inspiring ideas.
Anna Jafra, Manager at Pomerania Development Agency commented “We represent 11 companies from our region and we’ve had a lot of interest from visitors already on the first day and made some exciting contacts. It’s been very busy and we’re particularly impressed with the level of health and safety precautions in place that are making this show possible for so many people.” The first day at The Hotel Show Dubai encouraged a strong revival of the hospitality industry, indicating a bright and prosperous future for all those involved. Andy White, Senior Vice President at dmg events said, “Our aim at The Hotel Show 2021 is to educate, inspire and entertain. We’re delighted to be back after 15 months, and, as a result, have focused on developing outstanding content for this year’s edition. We are pleased to have doubled the number of seminars and have three times as many speakers as previous editions. We are delighted with how day one has done with an array of things to experience under one roof and can’t wait for days two and three.”
Hospitality Leadership Forum: The Hospitality Leadership Forum offered a rare opportunity to spend time with the industry’s most outstanding leaders. Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing, was welcomed with a standing ovation in recognition of DTCM’s decisive handling of the pandemic over the past 15 months. His engaging keynote offered a unique insight into Dubai’s strategic response to COVID-19, which has seen the Emirate emerge as a global blueprint of destination marketing success. Elsewhere, the F&B Stakeholders Summit showcased a series of focused conversations for a sector that has been incredibly challenged by the COVID-19 era. Naim Maadad, Chief Executive, Gates Hospitality Board Member, Dubai Restaurants, led the first discussion, acknowledging the wealth of venues and talent available in the region and encouraging the industry to recognise the need to encourage, educate and reward industry professionals for their contributions to safeguard future retention and recovery.
Meanwhile, Frank Wolfe, HITEC Dubai Chairman, took to the stage to commence an interactive series of discussions on topics such as data breach prevention and management, supporting the age of mobile: wireless optimization, guest interaction, as well as a panel projecting future travel trends, and what the hospitality industry can learn from developments in other industries. Separately, ten participating chefs battled it out on day one of this year’s long-awaited Chefs Table Challenge which returned for its third edition at The Hotel Show Dubai 2021. Visitors and exhibitors witnessed judges score participating teams on mise en place, culinary skills, presentation, and, of course, taste. reless optimization, guest interaction, as well as a panel projecting future travel trends, and what the hospitality industry can learn from developments in other industries.
A survey conducted recently by GRS in partnership with The Hotel Show Dubai resulted in some promising statistics on the industry’s current situation, reinforcing the positive outlook for businesses and individuals within the hotel and leisure sector.
The survey showed that some 80 per cent of business owners in the industry are expecting an improvement for the second half of this year, in contrast to the second half of 2020. Additionally, 82% of the industry’s business owners expect an improvement for the second half of 2021 in comparison to the first half of 2021. Notably, 56% of the surveyed hotel owners also believe their hotels are delivering a “better experience to their guests today than before Covid-19.”
When asked what the two most important factors to consider when choosing a supplier, 65 per cent of industry business owners said quality and 35 per cent said reliability. Finally, more than half of hotel owners are actively recruiting, demonstrating the industry’s remarkable turnaround in recent weeks. Yves Tarabout, General Manager at Sheraton Mall of the Emirates adds; “The statistics from the GRS survey are a resounding example of the outstanding response from the UAE government over the past 14 months. The local hospitality industry is rebuilding at pace, and we are already seeing vast improvements in operations across all sectors. It’s a remarkable achievement and testament to the resilience of the region and its commitment to being a global destination for leisure and tourism.”
