- New analysis from STR, produced on behalf of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) reveals robust progress within the hospitality sector throughout the GCC area in 2024
- The examine outlines how authorities initiatives resembling Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s ‘We the UAE 2031’ marketing campaign are fuelling progress and elevating the tourism experiences provided within the area
- The analysis additionally identifies luxurious hospitality as a key driver of progress, with leaders within the trade set to share unique insights at ATM 2025
The hospitality sector within the GCC is experiencing a powerful resurgence, with new knowledge compiled by STR on behalf of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) revealing important progress throughout the area in 2024.
According to the report, aggregated Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) throughout Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE final 12 months rose by 5.4% in comparison with 2023, fuelled primarily by a rise in occupancy charges. In 2024, occupancy charges throughout the GCC reached 69.5%, surpassing the degrees noticed previous to the pandemic, underscoring the area’s profitable efforts to determine itself as a world-class tourism and funding hub.
Key authorities initiatives, notably Saudi Vision 2030 and the UAE’s ‘We the UAE 2031’ marketing campaign have performed a pivotal function on this transformation by selling financial diversification, enhancing infrastructure, and elevating the general tourism expertise. These efforts purpose to spice up occupancy and set up the GCC as a aggressive participant within the international tourism panorama.
The analysis additionally discovered that Average Daily Rate (ADR) grew by 2.4% within the GCC final 12 months, with the luxury hotel rooms section considerably contributing to ADR progress. The area has added greater than 35,000 resort rooms during the last 10 years, with 19% of rooms now belonging to the posh class, rising from 16% a decade in the past.
STR’s report means that resort rooms underneath all phases of growth will proceed to be dominated by the posh section, stating that with greater than 33,000 rooms underneath growth, Saudi Arabia alone has extra luxurious rooms within the pipeline than at the moment exist within the nation.
Commenting on STR’S newest analysis, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, stated: “Luxury hospitality continues to be a driving pressure behind the area’s tourism progress, providing distinctive experiences that appeal to high-spending travellers from all over the world.
“Luxury hotel exhibitors will be a key part of ATM 2025, showcasing the innovative hospitality concepts that are redefining the industry. As demand for premium travel rises, the GCC is well-positioned to strengthen its reputation as a global luxury tourism hotspot.”
ATM 2025 will showcase a various array of main hospitality and luxurious manufacturers, together with IHG Hotels & Resorts, Jumeirah International, Address Hotels + Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons, Kempinski, Kerzner International, The Peninsula Hotels, Hilton Worldwide and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Middle East. The occasion may also function unique insights from high trade specialists, together with Haitham Mattar, Managing Director throughout India, Middle East & Africa, IHG Hotels & Resorts, who’re shaping the way forward for the area’s hospitality sector.
IHG’s Managing Director throughout India, Middle East & Africa, Haitham Mattar stated: “Several markets throughout the GCC area are experiencing an thrilling part of progress in tourism and hospitality, pushed by key authorities initiatives leading to a rise in demand throughout resort segments.
“Historically, markets within the GCC area have been pushed by luxurious hospitality and demand is ready to rise owing to components resembling growth of giga and mega initiatives, elevated enterprise exercise and rise in leisure journey.
“As we carry and develop extra world class manufacturers within the area together with Regent, Six Senses, InterContinental, Kimpton, Vignette Collection, Hotel Indigo, we’re dedicated to contributing to the dynamic hospitality panorama, providing elevated experiences for a variety of travellers.
“As we look forward to ATM 2025, we anticipate a great opportunity to build meaningful connections and showcase how IHG is helping shape the future of hospitality in the region.”
During the occasion, Mattar will host a session titled “Hospitality redefined, find your competitive edge”, which can deal with the challenges and alternatives shaping progress throughout the MEA and Southwest Asia areas. In addition, Sarah Duignan, Director, Client Relationships, STR will dive additional into how the varied GCC markets are individually contributing to the general GCC success whether or not pushed by occupancy, ADR or each while Jeremy Bowen, CEO, Cirium will talk about passenger tendencies, airlift and shaping the journey trade’s broader progress within the session “Connecting the dots… benchmarking aviation and hospitality.”
ATM 2025, which can happen from 28 April to 1 May, brings collectively journey professionals from all over the world to share unique insights and visions on the way forward for the trade. Across 4 days, attendees can have the chance to fulfill with main trade specialists, forge new connections, and uncover recent views.
In line with this version’s theme, ‘Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity’, Arabian Travel Market will shine a highlight on the innovators reshaping the sector. Bringing collectively professionals and trade leaders from the leisure, enterprise occasions (MICE), luxurious and company journey sectors, ATM gives a platform for networking, data sharing, and enterprise alternatives, permitting contributors to discover the most recent tendencies, improvements, and developments worldwide.
Held at the side of Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2025’s strategic companions embrace Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner; Emirates, Official Airline Partner; IHG Hotels & Resorts, Official Hotel Partner; and Al Rais Travel, Official DMC Partner.