TOURIST BOOM PROPELS MIDDLE EAST ABOVE EUROPE IN TERMS OF PLANNED HOTEL ROOM OPENINGS

The Middle East’s tourist boom shows no sign of slowing – as new figures reveal the region has overtaken Europe in regards to the number of new hotel rooms in the pipeline.

According to ‘The Middle East Hotel Construction Overview’ report by TOPHOTELPROJECTS – prepared ahead of this year’s editions of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia (10-12^th April 2018) and The Hotel Show Dubai (16-18^th September 2018) – the Middle East is set to add 238,963 new hotel rooms to its current supply, the majority of which will open in the next five years.

There are 214,743 guest rooms set to open in Europe, putting the Middle East ahead of its neighboring region – despite Europe having more new hotel builds in the pipeline.

Ray Tinston, Portfolio Director of The Hotel Show events, said: “This new report reveals the extent to which the room to project ratio for Middle Eastern hospitality projects is considerably higher than average.

“Hospitality here is synonymous with luxury, opulence and pushing boundaries in terms of scale, magnitude and grandeur. As five star developments and mega resorts continue to dominate its construction pipeline, it’s not surprising that this region has an extraordinary number of rooms in development, even higher than compared with regions with a larger amount of individual hotel projects.”

The UAE (222 projects / 126,576 rooms) and Saudi Arabia (143 projects / 55,810 rooms) are the two most active countries for hospitality development in the Middle East.

An even clearer indicator of continued growth for the region is its having more hotel rooms on the way than South America and Africa combined.

“Dubai continues to lead the global hospitality industry in terms of innovation,” said Tinston. “The world’s tallest hotel has just opened here, and it is due to welcome the first hotel in the world with its own rainforest. Developers here continue to push boundaries – it’s a very exciting market.”

Pictured: Gevora Hotel – the tallest hotel in the world – recently opened on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road

The region’s strong placing is being attributed to substantial growth across its major countries. Saudi Arabia, for example, is in the midst of widespread change in line with the governments’ Saudi Vision 2030 – with a focus on improving its position as a destination for tourism.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts currently operates 11 hotels across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has five hotel projects under development in its major cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, Al Khobar – popular with leisure tourists with its coastal location – and industrial city Wa’ad Al Shamal.

Marc Descrozaille, President Middle East & Africa, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, said: “Saudi Arabia is not only home to the Gulf’s largest population, with more than 33 million residents and a robust domestic tourism market, but has become the focal point for government and international investment, based on economic diversification plans designed to secure its long-term prosperity.

“We continue to seek more opportunities to expand our footprint in Saudi Arabia, given its long-term business, investment and tourism prospects. New cities, bigger airports, major leisure-focused tourism attractions and new visa rules are all part of the plan to put the Kingdom on the global tourism map. Saudi’s big-picture plans for development will benefit the hospitality market and the economy at large.”

Pictured: Upcoming hotel opening for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mövenpick Hotel Heraa Jeddah

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2018 is set to return to the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events next month (10-12^th April 2018) for its sixth edition, with highlights including its highly anticipated ‘Inter-Hotel Culinary Competition’ endorsed by WORLDCHEFS, The Saudi Arabian Chefs Association and Culinary Partner, Unilever Food Solutions.

Hundreds of global brands will showcase the latest products and services designed for the hospitality industry from interiors to technology to thousands of hoteliers and restaurateurs in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the 19^th edition of The Hotel Show Dubai will take place 16-18^th September 2018 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Its world-renowned live features including The Middle East Housekeepers League of Champions and The Middle East Hospitality Leadership Forum, are set to return in a big way for 2018.

Find out more about The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2018 and The Hotel Show Dubai 2018 at: www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com / www.thehotelshow.com.

GROWING TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SECTORS CONVERGE AT THE HOTEL SHOW AFRICA 2017 IN JOHANNESBURG

Leading hospitality suppliers from around the world have landed in Johannesburg for the inaugural The Hotel Show Africa, taking place from June 25 to 27.

The Hotel Show Africa 2017 is co-located with the continent’s long-established food and beverage show Africa’s Big 7, making this the biggest food and hospitality platform in its history, both part of Retail & Hospitality Week at The Gallagher Conference Centre.

The new event is adapted for the African market and based on international organiser dmg events MEA’s highly successful The Hotel Show Dubai, the 18^th edition of which will take place this September.

Tourism is at the heart of South Africa’s economic growth plan with a government-backed target of a 50 per cent increase in visitors by 2020. The hospitality sector is a key growth target for governments across sub-Saharan Africa and the continent has almost 30,000 new rooms under construction at 159 hotels this year.

Top national and international suppliers are showcasing hospitality products for restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels, right through to food & beverage service outlets at The Hotel Show Africa 2017.

Highlights of the three day event include:

• Build and security, three of the world leaders: Access Control Technologies, Dormakaba and Assa Abloy. In the bedroom, top US mattress supplier Restonic will be at the show alongside Belgotex, which is Africa’s leading flooring company, established on four continents.
• Blind Rage, promises the biggest selection of window dressings in the country, while leading furniture manufacturer Calgan Recliners will also be at the show. Origin Fitness brings the world’s top gym equipment.
• The Vision Conference, which has top speakers from around the world runs over the three days. It will examine key issues for the continent including: attracting investment for new build; the technology that is changing hospitality; what guests expect in 2017 and how the future African tourism can set the sustainability standard for the world.
• Speakers include industry leaders from Tsogo Sun; Tourism Grading Council; Solarus; Carlson Rezidor Group; Accor and Hilton Hotels.
• Other event features include a ‘WACS Kitchen of the Future Challenge’ by WORLDCHEFS.

The Hotel Show 2017 is part of Retail & Hospitality Week 2017 at The Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, from June 25 to 27. Learn more about The Hotel Show Africa 2017 and the Vision Conference at www.thehotelshowafrica.com

30,000 NEW HOTEL ROOMS FOR SAUDI ARABIA IN 2017

Saudi Arabia will see a record 68 new hotels and 29,033 hotel rooms open across its major cities in 2017, a new report has revealed.

Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Makkah are set to be the Kingdom’s busiest areas for hospitality development, according to the Saudi Arabia Hotel Construction Overview carried out by TOPHOTELPROJECTS, prepared exclusively for The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2017.

Major new hotels forecast to open throughout the Kingdom this year include Assila Hotel Rocco Forte (Q1 2017), TIME Qurayyat Hotel (Q2 2017), Nobu Hotel Riyadh (Q2 2017), Swiss-Belhotel Al Khobar (Q4 2017) and the highly-anticipated Abraj Kudai Towers, which will become the world’s biggest hotel when it opens its 10,000 rooms in Q4, 2017.

“The hospitality landscape in Saudi Arabia is developing at pace, and this is a particularly exciting year,” commented John Suzara, Event Manager of The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2017, taking place in Jeddah in April. “The largest hotel in the world – Abraj Kudai – is forecast to open in Makkah, whilst new brands are entering the market, harnessing the Kingdom’s potential at a time of major growth for its tourism, leisure and hospitality industries in the wake of the launch of Saudi Arabia’s National Vision 2030.”

Nobu Hospitality and Rocco Forte Hotels are international brands that will enter the Saudi Arabian market for the first time this year.

Rocco Forte Hotels’ Assila Hotel, opening on 12^th March 2017, is the luxury hotel group’s only property in the Middle East. Located in the heart of Jeddah it boasts 147 rooms, 63 suites, and a further 94 residential suites, spread across two large towers. The residences are the first fully serviced residential apartments in Saudi Arabia.

Pictured: Rocco Forte Hotels’ Assila Hotel, opening in Jeddah on 12th March 2017

Speaking of the world-renowned hotel group’s decision to add Jeddah to its impressive roster of international properties, which includes hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh, Munich and Rome, Christian Renz, Vice President Sales at Rocco Forte Hotels, said: “It was important for us to have representation in the Middle East, as we have such a large client base coming from this region, particularly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

“KSA has a lot to offer and I hope that the country will further open itself for international tourism,” added Renz. “The incredible history, art, culinary culture and friendliness of people is an experience which I am sure a lot of travelers would and will appreciate. Jeddah itself is also a very fast developing city; we have seen much growth over the last few years. We are very optimistic that Assila Hotel will soon be well known as one of the best hotels in the region.”

Pictured: The pool at the Assila Spa at the new Rocco Forte Hotels’ Assila Hotel

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia, based in Jeddah, is celebrating its 5^th edition in 2017 as the event grows alongside the thriving hospitality market in the Kingdom.

Taking place 4-6^th April 2017 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events, it provides industry professionals working on the hundreds of ongoing hospitality projects across the Kingdom with the ultimate opportunity to source everything needed to build, develop and maintain a hotel or restaurant.

Popular sectors this year have been identified by the show’s organisers MICE Arabia and co-organisers dmg events as technology, interiors, and HORECA. Exhibitors are set to descend on Jeddah from across the Kingdom and around the world. Big names already confirmed for the three-day event include Spanish providers of electronic locking and guest access systems, Onity, Cisa from Italy, Kuwaiti furniture specialists Banta, and Saudi Arabia’s Juffali Technical Equipment Company.

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is co-located for the first time in 2017 with Stone & Surface Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s only exhibition dedicated to connecting interior and exterior surface material with the decision makers responsible for specifying and procuring them.

To find out more and register to attend for free at: www.thehotelshowsaudiarabia.com

BREAKING NEWS: SHIFT TO MID-MARKET HOTEL DEVELOPMENT IN SAUDI ARABIA TO BOOST TOURISM

The hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia is witnessing a significant shift towards the development of mid-range hotels in 2016, according to a new report.

With a market dominated by 5-star hotels, the new report from TOPHOTELPROJECTS commissioned by The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016 reveals that six out of the top ten brands with the most development currently underway throughout the Kingdom are classed as mid-market.

This includes: Park Inn by Radisson (1,433 rooms); Hilton Garden Inn (1,155 rooms); Four Points by Sheraton (1,890 rooms); Aloft Hotels (627 rooms); Mercure (528 rooms); and Staybridge Suites (538 rooms).

Basel Talal, District Director of The Rezidor Hotel Group Saudi Arabia, set to open two Park Inn by Radisson Hotels in Makkah by 2017, said: “Saudi-Arabia is a key focus country for our group offering considerable growth potential and we are committed to the development of the Kingdom, which is underpinned by a genuine focus on economic diversification by the Government. We have a very ambitious growth plan in KSA, with a pipeline of 17 hotels and 3,780 rooms over the next five years.”

Carlos Khneisser, Vice President of Development, Hilton Worldwide Middle East & North Africa added: “While KSA traditionally boasts a luxury hospitality offering, we are now welcoming an increasingly diversified pool of guests from domestic and international markets – and it’s important that we evolve our proposition to match their mixed demands. This shift has seen the rise of mid-market hotel options, not only in KSA but across the region. In Q4 2015, three Hilton Garden Inn hotels opened in Dubai – which joined two Hilton Garden Inn properties in Saudi Arabia, to attract a whole new segment of guests eager to experience the world-class destinations in this region at an affordable price.”

Adding to the mid-market pipeline, Accor’s 4-star Novotel (450 rooms) and Adagio Aparthotel (77 rooms) and 3-star Ibis & ibis Styles (463 rooms) will open in Saudi Arabia in 2016 and 2017.

Holiday Inn, part of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), is one of the group’s largest brands in Saudi Arabia with 11 hotels currently open (2,281 rooms). In 2015, IHG opened two new Holiday Inn hotels, and also signed two new hotels including the world’s largest, Holiday Inn Makkah – Abraaj Al Tayseer.

Laurent A. Voivenel, CEO of Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH), a hotel management company with properties in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East will speak on “Tapping into mid-market opportunities” at The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016’s Vision Conference in May. He said: “Saudi Arabia is a land of opportunity both in terms of domestic and inbound tourism and is central to our expansion strategy.”

“Continued development of leisure and commercial areas as well as massive investment in tourism infrastructure in key cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, is fuelling the demand for affordable accommodation. The mid-market segment is currently under-supplied, pushing the demand for quality serviced apartments as well as 3 and 4-star properties,” Voivenel continued. “The authorities are working on a long-term strategy focused on encouraging business travel as well as economic diversification that in turn will contribute to development of the hospitality sector, catering to all segments of the market. Given the growth in the domestic and international visitor numbers, only set to increase further with a more segmented offering, the future looks very promising for the hospitality industry in KSA, more so in the mid-market segment.”

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia 2016 is the only event in the Kingdom where hospitality industry professionals can source everything needed to build, develop and maintain a hotel or restaurant in Saudi Arabia. Its Vision Conference also provides a unique opportunity to learn about the latest industry developments and trends. It takes place 17-19th May 2016 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. Register to attend for FREE.