Hyatt sees 5% rise in business travel enquiries in Mideast

Zawya

6 days ago

Hyatt Hotels Corporation saw more than 42,000 meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) enquiries in the Middle East in 2024, an increase of 5.2% compared to 2023, driven by a growing demand for authentic cultural experiences embedded into business trips.
Hyatt's UAE properties accounted for almost 24,000 of these enquiries, amounting to a 6.6% growth year on year. Meanwhile, Hyatt's properties in Saudi Arabia witnessed over 7,000 MICE enquiries, up 10% versus 2023.
The UAE market saw the highest number of MICE enquiries throughout the entirety of the Middle East, reflecting the popularity of Hyatt's portfolio amongst business travellers, the group said.
Exceptionally equipped for hosting large-scale events and conferences, Grand Hyatt Dubai offers event planners one of the largest exhibition centres in a hotel in the Middle East and Africa region, with 5,000 sq m of space and the capacity to hold 3,000 attendees. Across the property, the conference, meetings and events facilities combine to a total of 12,000 sq m.
This comes as global business travel spending is projected to reach $1.64 trillion in 2025, up from $1.48 trillion in 2024, according to the Global Business Travel Association, signifying strong momentum for the continued recovery and growth of the segment. With global spending expected to surpass $2 trillion by 2028, the ways in which travel companies are agile in responding to evolving customer demands is critical.
Paul Dalgleish, VP Sales, Revenue and Business Development EAME, said: 'We are increasingly seeing business travellers look to make the most of trips by bolting on days to experience local surroundings. While business travel is well and truly back, there remains an undertone of cautious spending from travellers and companies, meaning this segment is more than ever about getting the highest return on investment from business trips. This also means that companies are laser-focused on delivering high-quality and engaging events that inspire productivity, requiring greater attention on unique and personalised settings, activities and F&B.'
Dialling up downtime with Together by Hyatt
Behind this growth lies Hyatt's world-renowned hotel brands and a strong, long-standing reputation in the corporate travel segment, which, alongside its meetings and events platform, Together by Hyatt, allows for the delivery of best-in-class meetings and events. Together by Hyatt guides the way Hyatt properties create experiences and deliver more connected meetings and events, with organisers and guests at its heart. The platform provides event organisers with the tools, resources and support they need to deliver unique and elevated events, prioritising what matters most to them, whether that's wellbeing with waste reduction and thoughtfully sourced food, providing efficiencies through a real-time planner portal, or curating unique experiences with bespoke event experience guides.
Shaping this growing demand is the appetite for unique experiences that bring business travellers closer to the destination, whether that's through food, team building, or learning a new skill. From harvesting honey while learning about the environmental benefits of beekeeping in Jabal Akhdar during a stay at Alila Jabal Akhdar, to team tasting during a Chef's Lab experience at Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy, to truffle hunting in the forests of Hungary while staying at Párisi Udvar Hotel Budapest, or even unwinding with a yoga experience during a stay at Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Residences, Emirates Pearl, the opportunities to dial-up events via unique experiences are endless when partnering with Together by Hyatt.
Gareth Cummings, Regional Vice President EAME, Hyatt Sales Force, commented: 'Business travellers are particularly drawn to authentic lifestyle experiences. We are seeing strong demand for meaningful connections with local surroundings, whether that's through tasting local food, learning a new skill like beekeeping or exploring the surrounding heritage. We only see this trend growing as demand for business travel continues on its upward path, and travellers seek out the types of experiences that transform a business trip into a truly memorable experience. This is why we have ensured that across our brand bar, travellers are spoilt for choice when it comes to elevating any business trip, from Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency in our Classics collection, to Lifestyle brands like Andaz and The Standard.'
Bespoke buyouts in stunning locations
Pivotal to the evolving corporate travel sector is the growing appetite from larger corporates to privatise entire hotels for MICE purposes. Whether guests are delivering energised sessions in a conference room, practicing meditation under the stars or strengthening connections over an authentic dish, corporates are increasingly recognising the benefits of an exclusive buyout that enables any meeting, conference or event to be elevated.
Hyatt is responding to this demand, alongside the desire for increased return on investment from events, by offering greater flexibility for customers to deliver tailored, exclusive events with a full or partial buyout at a Hyatt hotel across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, it said. - TradeArabia News Service
Copyright 2025 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).