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Designers hoping to break into the Middle Eastern hospitality market may be spoiled for choice. The region is pegged to be the hotel sector's fastest-growing by 2020 with 7.1 percent annual growth and almost $4 trillion in tourism investments (already announced). "And, there's more to come," says Jonathan Worsley, chairman of The Bench consultancy, London, and managing director of International Hospitality Services and MEED Conferences, co-organizers of the 2008 Arabian Hotel Investment Conference, held at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. In fact, Worsley says, even with 69 million arrivals, the region's tourism growth potential is far from realized. Some trends designers need to know include:
By 2010, 80,000 more rooms will be in Dubai's hotel inventory. Tom Rowntree, vp, commercial, InterContinental Hotel Group, Middle East & Africa, sees that pipeline stretching on to 2020.
More than $3.63 trillion is being invested in hotels, leisure projects, aviation developments, cruise lines, tourism promotion and supporting infrastructure across the Middle East.
New brands are on the horizon. Christophe Landais, managing director, Accor Middle East, sees the giants "not just adding new brands but new concepts in new segments."
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