Andreas Mattmüller, COO, Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts, Middle East and Asia gives his 2016 predictions
- Predicts 4% growth in occupancy and 6% growth in ADRs
Andreas Mattmüller, COO, Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts, Middle East and Asia (MEA) for its ME properties in 2016, compared to 2015;
- Mega-developments and infrastructure projects in KSA will drive growth in business, leisure and religious tourism;
- Occupancy growth of 15% expected at MHR’s Makkah and Madinah hotels compared to 2015, fuelled by the expansion of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, the new Haramain High-Speed Rail network (running between the two cities), and the new terminal at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport;
- Will be eyeing expansion in KSA (Makkah and Madinah), the UAE (Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and the Ras Al Khaimah), Oman (Muscat and Sohar) and Doha (Lusail);
- Oman will be an important development market for branded hotels as part of the Sultanate’s infrastructure drive;
- With 17 UNESCO-registered World Heritage sites, and plans to host 20 million tourists a year by 2025, worth $30 billion annually, Iran is a market on Mövenpick’s radar;
- The growth of Airbnb will be a hot topic with the industry keen to learn how ME governments will regulate and legislate this type of platform;
- Increasing industry consolidation will allow smaller players to differentiate themselves;
- Hotels will need to be better cater to Millennials with innovative technology, mobile check-ins, and unified connectivity across multiple devices use to enhance the guest experiences;
- Ongoing trends gaining traction in 2016 include health and wellness concepts and eco-friendly practices.
