Big data and its transformative effect on the hospitality industry main topic at the Arabian Travel Market

03-05-23

Leading hoteliers speaking on the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023, which runs at Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) until Thursday 4 May, emphasised that human intervention remains essential if owners and operators are to derive genuine value from the information being collected.

'Hospitality Debate: What else can Big Data unlock' presented a variety of expert insights on the power of data to improve guest experiences within the Middle East hospitality sector. Moderated by Paul Clifford, Group Editor - Hospitality and Design at ITP Media Group, the session featured Chris Hartley, CEO of Global Hotel Alliance; Tommy Lai, CEO of General Hotel Management Pte Ltd; Sandeep Walia, Director of Middle East Operations at Marriott; and Nicolas Huss, CEO of Hotelbeds, take to the ATM Global Stage to share their insights.

Commenting on the advances in the hotel industry's data capabilities over the past decade, Lai of General Hotel Management Pte Ltd said: "It used to be that you needed a lot of people for analytics, but now, you can collect data and AI will decode it. for you. Big data and AI are levelling the playing field between smaller groups and bigger brands."

Speaking on the importance of interpretation, Marriott's Walia said, "This technology can help guests narrow down which hotels they would like to stay at," and noted that big data, when used in combination with AI, can help identify the best options for customers. "But ultimately, guests must connect with us to make the booking, so the balance between AI and the human touch is equally important and cannot be forgotten."

Reiterating the importance of quality over quantity, Global Hotel Alliance's Hartley said, "Acquiring data is one thing, but that's not 'big data'. It's what you do with the data that is critical. We've known for years, for example, that credit card companies have a huge amount of spending data, far beyond the hotel. This tells you a lot more about the customer than you might reveal during a single stay."

Hotelbeds' Huss agreed, but cautioned that an ethical approach is essential to realise the full potential of this information. "I think there are several rules," he said. "The first is that everything has to be anonymous. The second is that we have to make sure that the data we have adds value to the guest experience. And finally, we have to recognise that the way we behave when we stay in a hotel doesn't always reflect what we do when we leave that environment. We will only thrive if we have the best data and some kind of human care."

The first day of ATM 2023 featured 20 sessions on the Global Stage, Travel Tech Stage and Sustainability Hub. Other highlights of the day included the session Technology: the enabler of sustainable travel, financing sustainability and improving the customer experience through AI. The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance also addressed the importance of protecting the locations, livelihoods and communities in which hotels are based, in the Achieving Net Positive Hospitality session.

The 30th edition of ATM takes place as part of Arabian Travel Week (1-10 May 2023), a festival of events dedicated to enabling industry professionals from around the world to collaborate and capitalise on market opportunities through exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches and networking events.

Those attending ATM 2023 in person can join the conversation online by using the hashtag #ATMDubai when posting on social media channels.

ATM 2023 is being held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, and its strategic partners include Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as destination partner, Emirates as official airline partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as official hotel partner and Al Rais Travel as official DMC partner.