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Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has unveiled a third-party research report on the digital maturity of hotels in the emirate, with the objective of further improving the competitiveness of the travel and tourism industry.
The report was commissioned by Dubai Tourism as part of its on-going commitment to facilitate and promote disruptive technology as set out by the government’s 10x Initiative, with research carried out by leading management consultancy InsightsOut, specialists in the hospitality and service industries.
Findings showed that 80 per cent of hotel searches and 60 per cent of travel searches in the Middle East and North Africa, MENA region, are made using mobile phones, demonstrating the importance of a digital, social and mobile first strategy when designing booking platforms. The report aims to equip hotels with the relevant analysis in order to identify areas for further improvement, as well as the best tools to use during implementation.
The research carried out a digital maturity assessment across all classifications of hotels in Dubai, using leading competitive cities around the world as a benchmark. The results revealed that 83 percent of hotels currently have an internet booking tool, with 78 per cent already implementing a digital marketing strategy, reinforcing the industry’s increasing online presence. While 63 per cent of properties already offer digital guest surveys to improve their service, the report highlighted customer relation management, CRM, as an area for further development with 21 percent currently operating the process.
Further results showed the positive revenue impact that increased digital maturity will have on hotels. These features were identified as top priorities for the modern-day global traveller, with 86 per cent of consumers preferring personalised communication in emails; 84 per cent seeking recommendations based on their visit history, and 81 per cent looking for geo-targeted offers and services.
Helal Almarri, Director-General, Dubai Tourism, said, "Guided by the vision and future-focussed agenda of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, our goal is to leverage technology to offer best in class digital experiences for our guests, enabling Dubai to lead the way into a smart future. Today, consumers are hyper-connected and expect real-time product updates and personalisation tools on mobile devices to tailor their hotel and destination experiences, underpinning the importance of customer relationship management at every stage of the journey. As we work towards the Tourism 2022-2025 Strategy, the need for a new generation of innovative and smart technology increases in order to enhance the customer experience. We look forward to furthering this work in partnership with the private sector in order to ensure we are constantly evolving to cater to travellers’ needs, and where relevant will continue to call on third-party research to ensure Dubai is leading the way when it comes to best practice in world-class digitisation."
In addition to the Digital Maturity Report, Dubai Tourism and InsightsOut have also developed an interactive training programme to ensure Dubai’s resilient hospitality sector continues to maintain global price competitiveness. The Revenue Management Workshop programme invited hotel revenue managers, reservation managers and sales and marketing managers to attend practical sessions. The comprehensive programme consisted of 22 workshop sessions, training a total of 419 professionals across 411 properties, with each session hosting a maximum of 25 participants to ensure a personalised and immersive learning environment.
"These are just a few of the strategic projects in place to further empower Dubai’s hotel industry professionals. These developments also represent the tangible outcomes of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s vision and are integral to placing Dubai on the world map in a highly digitised global travel ecosystem," Almarri added.
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