Mobile technology has changed the way people research, plan and book their holidays — and this is no different for business travellers. The internet has made travel-related search easier and travel booking sites have made flights, hotels and weeklong agendas a click-away.
So what do travellers expect from a hotel once they arrive at their destination from a technological perspective? They expect hotels to be equally tech-savvy, offering high speed Wi-Fi, mobile work space and more recently, mobile check-in. Have hotels in the Middle East kept up with these changes and what is driving the need for change?
Globally, millennials, also known as Gen-Y (people born between 1980 and 2000) have grown up. Born with technology at their fingertips, they are now travelling the world, expecting an easy travel experience with as little disturbance as possible to their daily routine wherever they go. Furthermore, from a business standpoint, this group will comprise 75% of the global workforce by 2025; like their personal experiences they expect business travel to be equally easy. In the Middle East this desire is no different.
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According to a report by Viacom, millennials are a more influential segment in the Middle East than in other parts of the world. Globally, millennials count for 34% of the total population on average whereas in the Middle East it is 48% — almost half the entire population.
Having been brought up with growing economies, business millennials in the region have become accustomed to the latest technology trends and are considered early adopters of both the latest tech products and online experiences.
They are also more addicted to the internet than in other countries; 55% of millennials in Egypt would rather stay at home than go on holiday without access to the internet. In Saudi Arabia, this figure is 39%. In addition, more than four in five individuals based in the Middle East stay connected wherever they travel. In order for businesses in the travel industry in the Middle East to thrive, it is imperative they understand this group’s value, spending power and technology habits.
Here is another reason why: a number of studies and surveys over recent years show clear signs that habits for business travellers are changing. According to a study by Concur, nearly 90% of business travellers use mobile apps and 62% of them use them on every business trip, with 89% stating that mobile apps improve their travel experience. As a result businesses in the travel industry are revamping their offerings across the board to cater for this generation and in turn get a bigger slice of the business traveller market.
A CHANGE IS COMING
At any given moment, today’s global traveller may want to take a personal call, handle a business meeting or host a social gathering. Given this new set of expectations, a hotel’s public spaces have to evolve their design to accommodate the diverse needs of all of its guests, often at the same time.
Here in Dubai, paid for Wi-Fi is becoming a thing of the past as Emaar Properties now offers free internet connections anywhere on the 3.5km-long Downtown Emaar Boulavard, highlighting the high demand for people to ‘stay connected’.
And the change doesn’t stop there. As a result of this demand, hotels in the region are now offering free Wi-Fi in public spaces including business airport lounges which provide charging stations for laptops and mobiles, personalised apps, mobile boarding and much more. Whilst some are clearly at the top of their game when it comes to catering for the tech-minded, the overall travel industry still has a long way to go in order to become fully compliant for Gen Y.
Businesses in the industry need to strive for ‘digital parity’ to take full advantage of this powerful generation; 24/7 access is no longer an option, it is a must.
At Marriott International, we are conscious that we need to bridge the gap in the divide in what a business traveller requires and what they currently have access to. We believe a mobile-centric approach is key and as part of this we recently launched mobile check-in, which is now available at over 340 Marriott hotels in more than 20 countries including the UAE, Jordan and Egypt in our region.
Since it first launched late last year, the check-in feature has been downloaded 2.5 million times and Marriott.com receives over 4.5 million visitors a month from smartphones. We expect this to grow as we expand our offering and continue to cater for the business traveller. In the region, this application will be rolled out across all markets by Q3 2014.
These are just a few examples of what Marriott International is doing both globally and locally — and one thing we can assure Gen-Y travellers is that they will be more connected wherever they are — and mobile check-in is just the start.
About the Author:
Neal Jones is the chief sales & marketing officer, MEA at Marriott International. Details: www.marriott.com
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