Focus on ATM to reconnect with partners

Attending Arabian Travel Market onsite for the second consecutive year, Iftikhar Hamdani, Area General Manager – Northern Emirates, HMH Hospitality shares about its value to the trade and its power to reconnect with partners, and also meet new potential partners at the hybrid event.

Shehara Rizly

How important is ATM?

ATM is one of the biggest travel exhibitions in the region, its importance has increased especially at this time when most of the travel exhibitions were cancelled due to COVID situation. ATM is important for our upcoming summer season contracting and to find new partner in the region, to meet our existing partners in this mega show.

What will you be showcasing from your area at ATM?

Coral Beach Resort Sharjah and Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel are definitely best resorts in the Northern Emirates.  Our strength is service excellence, beautiful beaches, and our USP is quality food in both resorts.

Could you share your expectations from this year’s ATM?

We are expecting a successful ATM where we will hunt our new partners for the immediate summer season and long-term partners for the winter period. Expecting to sign off new contract within our regional partners.

During 2021, which were the noteworthy source markets that contributed to the revenue of the hotels?

2021 was one of the best financial years ever, despite all the challenges. CIS was on top of the ladder this year, even during the summer period. Secondly, we gain a good number of tourists from Germany, Balkans, GCC and the subcontinent in 2021.

Will you be focusing on new source markets?

Our focus is to get new markets, we are working to find partners in German speaking countries DACH, Baltic, Balkans, East Europe and UK to balance our major share, which is from CIS countries. Although CIS will still remain on top compared to other markets, as Northern Emirates’ major feeder market is CIS for two decades.

Travel agents have always played a pivotal role in terms of bookings, how do you work with them and incentivise them, especially in the wake of the pandemic?

We have very good relations with DMCs and we consider them as team rather a business partner.  Our relations are very strong with all the partners and we give them respect on parity and support them with our room availability during the peak season when hotels remains full.  Our winning year 2021 was not possible without support of DMCs, who played major role in leisure segment to fill the room with good TRevPAR.

Over the past two years what sort of behaviour did you notice from the travellers? How did they book? Were they with family and friends or were they just couples or singles, did they have the appetite to travel?

As mentioned 2021, we had best ever year compared to the past.  We had majority of bookings from families. At the same time, we had accommodated couples and singles as well from business segment.