“We are maximising technological advancement and data leveraging through the usage of artificial intelligence to offer personalised recommendations and pricing. We also anticipate hotels with ‘smart rooms’ activated by mobile devices and properties with very modern interior design,” Purcell explains.
Hilal, however, claims that the future of the industry lies in tapping technical advancements with hospitality’s core motive — which is to please the customer.
“The future is all about how to measure emotions. We have a Minister of State for Happiness in the UAE, which showcases the government’s commitment to provide services that achieve customer happiness and I believe, hotels should also invest in designing intelligence platforms and advanced tools that allow to measure the guest’s experience and drive high satisfaction ratings,” Hilal affirms.
And this is true as Dubai plans to embrace sophisticated blockchain technology in an effort to boost tourism as the emirate diversifies the economy away from non-oil sectors. Blockchain technology is a virtual B2B marketplace with smart contracting, across multiple parties from the travel industry involved in fulfilling a travel itinerary, with transparent pricing, providing travellers with the ability to create more tailored journeys. The blockchain is part of the 10X initiative, first launched in February 2017, with the aim to make Dubai a world capital of innovation within the next decade.
Commenting on the advanced technology, DTCM director general Helal Saeed Almarri said: “At Dubai Tourism, we are determined to carve a reputation as global leaders in tourism innovation, exponentially accelerating our ‘digital, mobile and social’ first strategy. Today travel is undergoing one of the most emphatic sectoral transformations due to the radical pace of technological disruption across every aspect of the consumer journey.”
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