Hotels boost their tech quotient

ONLINE media can play a major role in promoting tourism to the UAE given its rapid expansion worldwide, according to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

The UAE needs more specialised online media to promote the country at home and and abroad, he said, adding that investment in the tourism sector in the UAE exceeded Dh80 billion ($21.7 billion) in 2013, making it the top tourism investor in the Middle East.

AIRWATCH AT ATLANTIS, THE PALM

Meanwhile, Atlantis, The Palm has successfully deployed an enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution from AirWatch by VMware, the leading EMM provider. With AirWatch, guests can use mobile devices to access reservation details, expedite the check-in process and streamline housekeeping tasks. The luxury UAE hotel, uses iPods to assign staff members to clean rooms based on factors like availability and special requests from guests. Additionally, the resort is evaluating using digital menus on tablets instead of printed menus so that items can be dynamically updated.

MOBILE CHECK-IN AT MARRIOTT

Another UAE hotel boosting its tech quotient is the Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf near downtown Dubai, which has launched a new mobile check-in service. Guests will find their room key card ready upon arrival and receive an automatic notification that their room is ready, through the new app. Another feature of the service allows guests taking advantage of the new app to skip the traditional stop at the front desk upon conclusion of their stay, as a final bill is provided via email.

KEMPINSKI, IRIS PARTNER UP

Elsewhere, Kempinski has selected iRiS Software as a key guest services technology provider and is installing iRiS applications across its worldwide network. The company’s innovative applications are used by more than 200 hotels worldwide and are multi-lingual and interactive. The apps are designed to improve the guest experience, generate additional revenue, reduce costs and take customer engagement to a new level.

Technology is fast paving its way into our lives. Mark Walsh, portfolio director at Reed Travel Exhibitions, the organiser of Arabian Travel Market, informs, “Of the regional travellers who generally plan their trips online, 48 per cent had used a smartphone during the previous 12 months to carry out travel-related activities, a figure that rises to 69 per cent if tablets are included. Indeed, 50 per cent and 35 per cent of Saudi and UAE travellers respectively access online services via their smart phones.”

However, the Middle East’s online, let alone its mobile travel market, is only scratching the surface. Given the region’s demographics, in particular a young growing population, and the fact according to Cisco, the number of mobile devices in the Middle East and Africa will rise exponentially from the current 133 million to 598 million devices by 2017, the trend is likely to accelerate in the years ahead.