Rotana expects recovery to hit pre-Covid levels by end of next year – The National

Rotana expects recovery to hit pre-Covid levels by end of next year – The National

Rotana expects recovery to hit pre-Covid levels by end of next year

The hotel chain already seeing 'green shoots' as it implements a 'Safe Space' programme to boost guests' confidence

Rotana CEO and president Guy Hutchinson is bullish about the recovery of the region's hospitality industry, led by Dubai and the UAE. Courtesy Rotana.

Abu Dhabi-based hotel management group Rotana expects its business to return to pre-coronavirus levels by the fourth quarter of 2021 as economies reopen and international travel restarts.

Rotana, which manages properties across the Middle East and Africa, is already seeing "green shoots" of recovery as governments lift lockdown measures, residents go on staycations and people are keen to return to their normal lifestyle, Guy Hutchinson, Rotana's president and chief executive, told The National.

"Today, we are seeing green shoots, we're seeing opportunities to generate income and we're seeing those opportunities accelerate," Mr Hutchinson said in an interview on Wednesday.

As Dubai plans to open up to international visitors from July 7 following months of travel restrictions, the executive is "cautiously optimistic" about the return of visitors to the country.

Pent-up demand for travel, both globally and among the UAE's source markets, will drive the return of business and leisure visitors faster than expected, he said.

"It's