- Panellists explained how luxury hospitality companies can distinguish themselves in a saturated sector during a session at ATM 2024
- High-end hoteliers in the Middle East have an opportunity to redefine modern luxury by bringing together global figureheads and authentic, homegrown talent
- Adopting a hyper-personalised approach to the guest experience can help luxury hospitality brands to engender customer loyalty and drive repeat business
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 9 May 2024: Industry professionals explored ways to stand out in the Middle East’s oversaturated luxury travel segment at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, which concludes today at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Panellists speaking during the exhibition’s luxury summit said authenticity, personalisation and the guest experience were among the key considerations for brands looking to distinguish themselves from the competition.
Industry experts noted that while the architectural designs of hotel operators’ premises may vary, it is important for luxury brands to establish common values and authentic experiences across their portfolios. From the language used to convey a company’s offering to the integration of local heritage and culture within individual hotels, speakers told ATM attendees that luxury players must remain laser-focused on delivering unique value propositions for guests.
Panellists participating in the Next-level Luxury: How to Stand Out as Truly Premium in an Oversaturated Market summit included Claudia Kozma Kaplan, SVP & Global Head of Brand at Raffles; Richard Alexander, GM of The Lana (Dorchester Collection); Michael Grieve, Chief Brand Officer at Jumeirah; and Marco Franck, Chief Hospitality Officer at Boutique Group. The session was moderated by John O’Ceallaigh, Founder of The Luxury Travel Edit Limited.
Participants said that rather than attempting to replicate luxury across multiple locations, the most successful luxury hospitality brands are infusing their hotels with local art, music and cuisine. For example, panellists acknowledged the value that can be added by the personal involvement of renowned celebrity chefs, but noted the importance of simultaneously nurturing and providing opportunities for homegrown culinary talent.
Speakers also emphasised the pivotal role of effective recruitment and retention in establishing teams that are equipped to meet and exceed expectations through hyper-personalised service. From retaining information about customers’ favourite foods to their children’s birthdays, summit participants told attendees that exceptional guest experiences are essential for luxury hoteliers looking to distinguish themselves in an overcrowded market.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Given the number of players in the Middle East’s luxury hospitality segment, it is no surprise that hoteliers are looking for new ways to stand out from the crowd. It was fascinating to hear such a diverse array of insights from our panellists, who provided some excellent examples of how brands can redefine what modern luxury means to their guests.”
Elsewhere on the final day of ATM 2024, attendees took to the Global Stage to share their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of travel and tourism talent at the Network with Future Leaders session, which was attended by university students from around the UAE.
Meanwhile, the Sustainability Summit concluded four days of engaging industry summits today, exploring topics such as COP 28 Unpacked: Charting Travel’s Path to Sustainability and Leveraging Sustainability for Luxury Markets. A panel of 12 international speakers gathered for the final session on ATM’s Future Stage, addressing The Top Trends to Tap in 2024.
The latest ATM news stories are available at https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/.
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For more information, log on to wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM), now in its 31st year, is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2023 welcomed over 40,000 attendees and hosted over 30,000 visitors, including more than 2,100 exhibitors and representatives from over 150 countries, across 10 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
Next in-person event: 6 to 9 May 2024, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai.
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a festival of events taking place from 6 to 12 May, within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2024. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes Influencers’ events, GBTA Business Travel Forums, as well as ATM Travel Tech. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, as well as a series of country forums.
https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html
About RX
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are:
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
Next event: 5 to 7 November 2024 at ExCel London.
WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In this its ninth edition – there have been eight face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021 – WTM Latin America continued to focus on effective business generation, and achieved the advance booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022.
Next event: 14 to 16 April 2025 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil.
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.
Next event: 9 to 11 April 2025 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/