Hoteliers attending this year’s Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) have stressed the importance of government support for tourism as key to a strong and resilient hospitality industry, in remarks at a briefing in Bahrain ahead of the event.

The Manama briefing on February 20 brought together hoteliers, hospitality investors, owners and tourism officials who discussed issues facing the industry ahead of AHIC, which is running from April 25 to 27 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai.  

Hyder Cohen, CEO of TCIG - The Cohen International Group, said: “It was valuable to hear in the AHIC briefing that Bahrain understands these challenges and has concrete plans on developing a comprehensive Tourism eco-system which will enable the kingdom to offer a diverse and cohesive product.  

“Creating bespoke products coupled with technologically enabled experiences will act as a key differentiator and will provide regional countries a unique selling proposition of their tourism product."

Echoing his sentiments, Fredrick Bonnalt, senior manager, Expedia Affiliate Network, said: “It’s clear to me that Bahrain has a clear and determined tourism strategy for the next five to 10 years. It’s very refreshing to listen to the vision, knowing that the government is standing behind this strategy to make Bahrain a top leisure and corporate destination.

“These are difficult times from a geopolitical, as well as a financial viewpoint and to diversify the country’s economy will be vital; there is no doubt in my mind that Bahrain is implementing this strategy.”

During a living discussion on the impact of technology industry disruptors such as Airbnb and FlipKey, Ramzi Al Qassab, commercial director of GCC and Global Partners, Sabre, said: “As a global technology provider to the travel and tourism industry, Sabre realises the importance of such platforms that brings together all industry players to streamline their efforts and learn about the challenges and opportunities facing this industry.

“Consumer behaviours and expectations are changing rapidly and expecting more from all travel players, especially hotels. Technology plays a leading role addressing the expectations of the tech-savvy consumers, meeting the market needs and supporting the development of this sector. Sabre’s latest research on travellers’ behaviours impacting the hospitality sector identifies the main consumers’ behavioural trends for hoteliers and travel companies to consider when targeting today’s traveller. Another study by Sabre has revealed that conversational interfaces, digital realities and connected intelligence are the emerging technology trends for hotels to keep an eye on when developing their technology strategy.”

Stressing the importance of AHIC and the regional briefings in playing a key role in the hotel sector throughout the GCC, Jerad Bachar, CDME, executive director, Tourism and Leisure, Bahrain Economic Development Board, explained: “The discussions and information exchange which take place during these forums are vital to our expansion process.  Indeed, the integration of discussions around industry disruptions and opportunities are beneficial for all sector stakeholders.”

AHIC 2017 will bring together more than 700 hotel owners, investors, developers, operators, consultants and experts from professional services to debate the hospitality investment climate against a backdrop of global catalysts for change and the macroeconomic environment.

The conference will feature panel sessions entitled: The MacroEconomic Outlook for Middle East Hospitality; Do You Need An International Brand?; An A-Z of Reflagging Your Hotel; The Investment Climate Warms Up to the Mid-Market; and Concepts for the GCC.

Sessions specifically targeted at hospitality investors will tackle issues such as white label operations, asset management, alternative models of investment, how to exit a contract, overseas acquisitions, working with master developers and achieving return on investment on food and beverage (F&B). - TradeArabia News Service