Open for business: hospitality and leisure in the Middle East
24 September 2013Recent years have seen the significant emergence of the hospitality and leisure sector in the Middle East. Systematic diversification into new tourism segments and investment into different subcontinental markets, and their robust supporting infrastructure, have provided growth and development with considerable momentum. Andrew Robinson, resident partner at KPMG, talks about transaction services, financial risk management and business performance services in the region.
Hotel Management International: What are your views on recent developments in the Middle East?
Andrew Robinson: In the wake of the global recession, while global economies battle with reduced levels of liquidity, contagion has seeped into hotel investment in the Middle East and North Africa. Customer retention and client-focused service have become imperative as competition surpasses regional borders.
The key challenge lies in creating and retaining a strong brand image that resonates with the global customer. The region's central location and customer-centric approach afford it a good chance of emerging as the global hub for corporate and commercial hospitality.
There has been a noted shift in focus towards better positioning, cross-leveraging of products and services, and competition over international standards of hospitality and leisure. Customer market share has become a crucial driver in business decisions. Market players are looking for advisers in order to secure a firm grasp of market dynamics, along with in-depth consumer insight.
How does KPMG operate in the Middle East?
KPMG's hospitality and leisure team in the UAE comprises 29 dedicated hospitality and tourism advisory professionals, including two partners. We work with more than 1,000 sector professionals across KPMG member firms the world over.
We have collectively developed a knowledge base comprising:
- wide-ranging e-hospitality business models and processes
- operations models
- risk registers and databases
- performance measures (such as critical success factors and key performance indicators)
- best-practice hospitality approaches
- solutions and thought leadership.
These offerings have been compiled by leveraging a combination of hands-on regional experience and the know-how of KPMG practices globally.
How important is that experience?
Our clients rely on our wide sector experience to assist them in making key decisions on critical subjects such as benchmarking and competitive alliance, strategic alignment and repositioning, revenue management strategies, and food and beverage profit maximisation.
Our hospitality specialists have worked with established regional and global players through complete business cycles encompassing strategic planning, customer service delivery, product delivery, brand/image delivery and resource management.
Our many years' experience of working with global and regional players has helped us develop considerable competencies in the areas of business planning and feasibility studies, and hotel advisory services.
