More than 400 exhibitors representing 45 countries are showcasing about 500 products at The Hotel Show 2011, which opened in Dubai today.

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, officially opened the show at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

 “The Hotel Show 2011 is an important event because in the Gulf especially, we need to encourage the tourism industry, and focus on the manufacturing division which will lead to a push in consumerism. Tourism currently contributes 7 per cent to the UAE’s GDP, but within the next five years we forecast that will increase up to 10 per cent,” Al Mansoori said.

Underscoring the sheer size of the region’s hotel development projects, Frederique Maurell, exhibition director, said: “The regional hotel development pipeline from design to completion is worth over $6 billion. The GCC countries are investing $185 billion in transport infrastructure over the next decade. The knock-on benefits for the hotel sector will be substantial.”

Now in its twelfth year, The Hotel Show, the region’s premier trade show for the industry, will run until Thursday, with technology and sustainability taking the lead.

The Hotel Show, organised by dmg world media Dubai, covers over 22,000 sq m of exhibition floor space, showcasing the latest products, services and technologies from all aspects of the hospitality and leisure sector. –TradeArabia News Service