Tag Archives: hospitality industry

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) hosted the inaugural Retrofit Summit, bringing together key stakeholders from the hospitality industry, financial institutions and government agencies, alongside industry experts. The Summit addressed the need for retrofitting existing hotels and venues in the emirate to enhance their energy efficiency. The event also served as a platform for industry leaders to exchange best practices, explore innovative retrofitting technologies, and discuss the growing role of sustainability in hotel operations. HE Saleh Al Geziry, Director General of Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The Retrofit Summit is an important milestone in supporting the emirate’s journey towards a more energy efficient future, in line with the ambitions of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy. As Abu Dhabi’s hospitality sector continues to evolve, this Summit accelerates the adoption of solutions that reduce energy consumption and lower carbon emissions. By fostering industry-wide collaboration and drawing from data-driven insights, we are paving the way for the transition to energy-efficient hotels and venues, while advancing our mission to protect and preserve Abu Dhabi for future generations.” The hosting of the Retrofit Summit stemmed from an extensive Energy Audit Assessment project launched by DCT Abu Dhabi last year, which assessed energy consumption across all hotels and five venues in the emirate, offering tailored recommendations for energy efficiency improvements. Each establishment received a detailed report outlining actionable steps to enhance their sustainability, underscoring DCT Abu Dhabi’s ongoing efforts to support the green evolution of its hospitality sector. Representatives from over 20 organisations and six exhibitors participated in the event, sharing success stories from initiatives that have already delivered notable sustainability gains in Abu Dhabi. The Summit featured speeches …

Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH) requested all hotel groups to be considerate towards their staff members in time of COVID-19 outbreak, when hospitality industry is at a standstill. Giant hotel groups operate in different countries, some with strong social security systems while others offering weak or totally inexistent support, leaving employees at risk when forced out of work. Khalid Anib – Chief Executive Officer – Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH), said “I urge operators to act responsibly and share a tiny portion of their generous fees collected during the previous years to support the staff across all levels, particularly associates at the properties; and to seriously consider creating some sort of solidarity fund dedicated to preserve the dignity of employees should something like this arise in the future.” The hospitality industry all over the world has been dramatically disrupted by the ongoing drastic measures imposed yet critical to preserve life. The main focus facing every hotel owner today is how to deal with this unprecedented challenge of occupancies having reached unbearable levels in a very short period of time with growing uncertainties around the rebound and related timing. Forcing employees to be on paid / unpaid leaves is unfortunately necessary to partially reduce payroll costs; owners will continue to bear in full all other employee benefits: accommodation, food, insurance etc. along with other massive fixed liabilities such as loans and interest repayments / building maintenance and insurances / necessary capital expenditures and others. Anib added, “I have recommended the release of a portion of each employee’s accrued end of service benefit to financially help them to support their loved ones’ back home during such difficult times. I would like to …

SIHOT, a customer-centered technology solution managing various aspects of hotel operations, was launched recently at Dubai HITEC 2018. Developed by GUBSE AG in Germany, the solution helps local hoteliers to adopt latest technologies in the fast development and tech progress challenges in the hospitality industry. It combines different modules, from PMS and CRM, to self check-in terminal and web app for the guests, into one manageable application for hoteliers. With Dubai’s high ambitions to attract 25 million tourists by 2025 and the growing numbers of hotel rooms available (additional 155,000 by 2020), local hoteliers are looking for new ways to attract more guests. Having noticed the challenges of hoteliers in the Middle East, SIHOT has partnered with BizGate Marketing & Consultancies to help industry professionals enhance their guest experience. David Warren, Director, International Sales, SIHOT, siad, “We understand the challenges Middle East hoteliers are facing. We want to help them to manage everyday operation using just one complex solution, as well as staying ahead by adopting the latest tech trends.” Mohamad Masri, Managing Director, BizGate Marketing & Consultancies, said, “We’ve been observing the considerable growth of rooms supply this year and it’s the crucial time for hoteliers to optimise their operations and enhance their guest experience.”