A new approach to loyalty programmes and the growth of smart technology will define the hospitality industry landscape to 2022, according to data released ahead of Arabian Travel Market.
The predictions, published by Colliers International, indicate, a rise in ultra-personalised guest services, and technology-led changes to the physical configuration of hospitality spaces with new job roles to accommodate these changes.
The trends will be explored at ATM 2018, during a panel discussion titled ‘The Hotel Landscape of The Future’.
Chaired by Content Inc director, Gemma Greenwood, discussion will span high-tech hospitality, new hotel concepts and the brands and hotels due to arrive in the region.
Simon Press, senior exhibition director, ATM, said: “The trends identified in this report will define innovation and growth across the regional hospitality landscape in the coming five years.
“The findings demonstrate that today’s hotel guests don’t want to be part of the crowd – they want a unique experience, personalised to their tastes and expectations and, preferably, in an unexplored, or emerging, destination.”
While the period 2016-2017 saw heightened merger and acquisition activity, the trends predicted for the coming five years are expected to focus on concepts, design, and marketing, as well as associate job descriptions.
Driving evolution across operations, responsibilities will merge as associates shift from micro-tasking to multi-tasking, transitioning to multi-function roles, enabled by technology.
As data applications advance, the traditional “yield manager” could be replaced by data scientists, who mine and analyse data on consumer behaviour.
Other major predictions include authentic over obvious luxury, adopting a genuine and more personalised style, and in-room destination guides offering curated and branded experiences.
The introduction of personalised benefits through hotel loyalty schemes, will see hotels offering bespoke and personalised benefits, based on customer buying behaviour.
Press added: “Using the trends of recent years as a springboard, the hospitality industry will start to pursue new lines of business in 2018, placing a focus on engagement, with personalised and bespoke attention now crucial to the luxury experience. “
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ATM – considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector – welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2017 event, including 2,661 exhibiting companies, signing business deals worth more than $2.5 billion over the four days.
The annual event will this year take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22th-25th.