UAE’s hospitality and travel sectors primed for bounce back

UAE’s hospitality and travel sectors primed for bounce back

Crowd-free experiences, space, as well as rigorous health protocols have become prominent messages, experts said

Destinations that can satisfy the demand for meaningful experiences will become more popular, experts said - KT file

Published: Wed 6 Apr 2022, 6:03 PM

The UAE’s hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors are showing healthy signs of recovery, with businesses increasingly focused on meeting new customer expectations in order to drive growth.

Peter Gerstle, head of Travel Products at Collinson, noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the value of reacting to a dramatic change in a short time. As a result, businesses have had to pivot and look into temporary alternatives, he said. “For customers, a move away from materialism has become even more pronounced: experiences, not things. We have seen this trend with travellers from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.”

Collinson’s research found that travellers would be willing to pay for additional services that improve their airport experience and wellbeing: 37 per cent of travellers in KSA would pay for airport lounge access, and 30 per cent of travellers in the UAE would be willing to pay for a quiet place to sit and relax.

“This bodes well for the travel and tourism sector, especially as the necessity of