Accordingly, the hotel has collaborated closely with HKTB on familiarisation trips across the region, and has also reached out to its brand office in the area to obtain statistics and subsequently draft strategies based on the gathered information.

“The emerging Middle Eastern market is full of potential,” stated Jeannie Crestejo, director of sales and marketing, Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, who revealed that the hotel witnessed a double-digit growth in these guests in 2015 over 2014, identifying the hotelier’s strong brand presence across GCC markets as the driver for further growth.

“The Middle East is a new market that we have been trying to expand in the past four years,” noted Noel Chai, director of sales and marketing, The Excelsior, Hong Kong, who mentioned a 118 percent year-on-year increase in Middle Eastern guests at the hotel in 2015.

“With the global economic downturn and reduction of visitors from the Chinese market, this [segment] would help supplement the underperformance of concerned areas,” added Chai.

Similarly, Ally Tsang, executive assistant manager, sales and marketing, Royal Park Hotel, reiterated the Middle Eastern market’s importance, saying that it can help to diversify the guest mix and generate more business opportunities in the long-term.

On this front, Jenny An, director of marketing communications, The Langham, Hong Kong, explained that the hotel’s current Middle East versus overall guest mix is still soft, but one that the management hopes to further develop.

Indeed, the establishment doubled its arrivals from the region in 2015, and expects to continue in the same manner this year.

According to An, with upcoming Langham projects in Dubai and Doha, the hotelier aims to create a stronger footprint and gain further brand recognition in the area.

In the case of Royal Park Hotel, although the property’s occupancy from this market remained the same from 2014 to 2015, Tsang is optimistic about the growth prospect following HKTB’s promotional activities.