MORE than 200 delegates attended last month’s fifth annual Orion Congress, which focused on the future of tourism and showcased topics including the current global economic crisis and the anticipated effects on tourism worldwide.
Speakers included Max Hitchins, also known as the Hospitality Doctor, Virgin Galactic astronaut Brian Binnie, international academics and local hoteliers.
Fritz Gubler chairman, Orion Hotel Schools, believed that the presentations including that delivered by John McGaw, CEO of Killik & Co on The State of the Economy were “captivating and well received by all involved and the inclusion of the segment in the programme was certainly appropriate given the current economic climate and speculation.”
The one day congress provided attendees with insights into the growth and future prospects for tourism. Visiting Dubai specifically to attend the Congress, Richard Rosebery, founder of Select Hotels and Resorts and director of The Profit Motif, Sydney Australia outlined global trends and the future of travel and hotel marketing, offering new perspectives and in some ways offering a wake-up call to hoteliers who continue to use traditional methods.
“Hot on the lips of most hoteliers that I come into contact with here in the UAE, is the challenge of recruitment. Many people are eagerly awaiting the opening of our Orion Hotel School in Dubai which will train not only the region’s future hoteliers but also international students, thereby providing a new source of talent for the industry,” said Gubler.
Virgin Galactic’s astronaut test pilot Brian Binnie spoke about his experience on SpaceShipOne. He believed that Dubai was the perfect location for a spaceport in the future due to its desert location and weather conditions, although there are currently no plans in place. His presentation explored the flight path and potential views of the Gulf.
The Orion Hotel School is planned to open in early 2009 in Dubai. Next year’s congress will take place in Montreux, Switzerland.