ATM hosts annual ITIC Middle East Tourism Investment Session


  • Summit discussed the growing correlation between sustainability and investment in travel and tourism projects
  • The session also shined a spotlight on the growing opportunities for women in the region’s tourism industry

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 4 May 2023: The ITIC Middle East Tourism Investment Session has presented their annual ATM Investment Summit meeting at ATM 2023. Exploring the economic outlook for regional tourism, the session also delved into the relationship between sustainability and investment in the sector as well as the growing opportunities for women in the Middle East, focusing on Oman as a case study.

Hosted by Gerald Lawless, Director ITIC Ltd, Invest Tourism Ltd and Ambassador WTTC, the summit opened with Nicolas Mayer, Global Tourism Leader PWC and Nicholas Maclean, Chairman and Managing Director CBRE Middle East. Sharing an optimistic view on the market Maclean said: “One of the key asset classes which is attracting special interest, particularly in the GCC is the opportunity for investors to capitalise on the hospitality industry. The profile of investors in the GCC is much more long term than in other markets around the world.”

Saudi Arabia is a particular growth area for the GCC region with the Kingdom recording 93.5 million tourists in 2022. Commenting on the investment situation in Saudi, Mayer said: “In Saudi Arabia there is an acceleration of not just hotels and rooms, but the creation of entire destinations which entails a number of different asset classes, be it in entertainment, human capacity building or experiences. The tourism industry is seen as a transformational sector when it comes to meeting sustainability goals and the sustainability aspect is now front and centre when it comes to investment in the Kingdom.”

The sustainability segment of the ITIC session was moderated by BBC Anchor Sameer Hashmi and the speakers for this session included: Amr El Kady, CEO, Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board; Dr. Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, Managing Director of Jordan Tourism Board, H.E. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism Jamaica, Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority; Maher Abou Nasr, Vice President Operations, KSA, IHG; and Hamza Farooqui, Founder & CEO, Millat Investments.

In terms of the challenges that sustainability presents to the tourism industry, aligning green policies across the public and private sector was highlighted as a priority. Global cooperation across countries is also vital as industry players work towards a common sustainability goal.

The panel agreed that beyond policy, ‘people’ are the most important consideration when it comes to sustainability in tourism. Bartlett concluded: “Globally, tourism is the fastest recovering industry since the pandemic, but growth has to be in harmony with sustainability. It’s about building people – because tourism is about people. We want to make sure that the beneficiaries of tourism, are the drivers of tourism. Tourism is about the environment and without the environment there is no tourism, therefore the sector has to be the custodian of climate management.”

According to the UN World Trade Organisation (WTO), women make up 54% of the workforce in tourism globally and almost a quarter of tourism ministers are women. Discussing the opportunities for women in tourism, Elizabeth Maclean, Co-Managing Director, Herdwick Communications interviewed Dr. Lubna Bader Salim Al Mazroei, Manager Economic Diversification Investments, Oman Investment Authority during the ITIC session.

Tourism is one of the main industries in Oman which is helping to diversify the economy and create employment opportunities for the local population. As part of its efforts to boost the tourism industry in the region, the Oman government established the Oman Tourism College in 2001. When the facility first opened, there were approximately 80 female students and this number has risen to 400 in 2023. Women now work across several areas of the local tourism industry with roles in hotels, airlines, restaurants and tours.

Concluding the session, Al Mazroei said: “Tourism is a dynamic and multidisciplinary industry with exciting opportunities to pursue. The nature of the work in the sector gives you the opportunity for personal development, as well as to develop interpersonal and technical skills that will help you with your career growth – and to find your competitive edge.

“When the Ministry of Tourism was established in Oman in 2004, the first Minister of Tourism was a woman. Our target is to create 500,000 jobs in Oman tourism by 2040 and to further strengthen the Oman tourism sector, we are implementing new education, training and employment initiatives. We have a dedicated Human Capital department that is overseeing all of the needs of the sector and this department is managed mostly by women.”

The 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), will run from 1 – 4 May 2023 at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

ATM 2023 is held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre and its strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as the Destination Partner, Emirates as the Official Airline Partner, IHG Hotels & Resorts as the Official Hotel Partner and Al Rais Travel as the Official DMC Partner.

Nicholas Maclean

ITIC Speaker
Nicholas Maclean
Chairman & Managing Director
CBRE, Middle East

Nick Maclean is CBRE’s Chairman & Managing Director for the Middle East Region. He was appointed in 2004 to establish a CBRE business within the Middle East with a particular emphasis on developing a platform that would service the requirements of CBRE’s international and local client bases.

He is responsible for setting and implementing the firm’s strategies for growth across the region, as well as overseeing the firm’s business across North Africa and The Levant. He provides strategic advice to governments, private offices, property investors, developers, landlords and occupiers across the region.

He is a GlobalScot; is Scotland’s Trade Envoy to the United Arab Emirates; and Chairman of the Lillian Sutton (SoC) Charitable Trust. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he sits on the RICS World Governing Council, having been a Member and Chairman, of the RICS MENA Board.

Maclean is a member of the Institute of Revenue, Rating and Valuation; and of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House). He holds the Reserve Decoration and in 2017 was named by Arabian Business as one of the 100 most influential people in the UAE.

Speakers

ITIC Speaker
Hon. Edmund Bartlett, CD, MP
Minister of Tourism
Jamaica more…
ITIC Speaker
H.E. Raki Phillips
Chief Executive Officer
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority more…
ITIC Speaker
Gerald Lawless
Director ITIC &
WTTC Ambassador more…
ITIC Speaker
Amr El-Kady
Chief Executive Officer
Egyptian Tourism Promotion Board more…
ITIC Speaker
Dr. Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat
Managing Director
Jordan Tourism Board more…
ITIC Speaker
Hamza Farooqui
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Millat Investments more…
ITIC Speaker
Nicolas Mayer
PWC Industry Leader Hospitality and Tourism EMEA
Managing Partner Global Center of Excellence Tourism & Hospitality more…
ITIC Speaker
Nicholas Maclean
Chairman & Managing Director
CBRE, Middle East more…
ITIC Speaker
Maher Abou Nasr
Vice President Operations, KSA
IHG more…
ITIC Speaker
Dr. Lubna Bader Salim Al Mazroei
Manager – Economic Diversification Investments
Oman Investment Authority more…
ITIC Speaker
Ibrahim Ayoub
Group Chief Executive Officer & MD
ITIC & Invest Tourism Ltd more…
ITIC Speaker
Elizabeth Maclean
Co-Managing Director
Herdwick Communications more…
ITIC Speaker
Sameer Hashmi
Middle East Business Correspondent
BBC News more…

Dr. Lubna Bader Salim Al Mazroei

ITIC Speaker
Dr. Lubna Bader Salim Al Mazroei
Manager – Economic Diversification Investments
Oman Investment Authority

Spanning a career of 20 years in the tourism industry, Dr. Lubna Al Mazroei experience pertains in various areas of the industry, from research and development, education, policy and planning to strategies, human capital and investments.

She currently holds a strategic role as the Manager of Economic Diversification Investments at Oman Investment Authority, overseeing and leading the sovereign fund portfolio of assets and investments for the tourism sector in Oman.

She is also the chairperson for the board of trustees at Oman Tourism College and the vice chairperson for the board of directors at Oman Air.

Maher Abou Nasr

ITIC Speaker
Maher Abou Nasr
Vice President Operations, KSA
IHG

Maher Abou Nasr has been with IHG for over 10 years. He started his career with the company as Regional Director, Finance & Business Support for our operations in the UAE and Near East Africa. He served as Director Development for Middle East and Africa, working with owners and partners across the region with a special focus on KSA.

Most recently as Head of Operations Finance for IMEA, overseeing the Middle East, Africa and South West Asian markets, he helped navigate our team and owner community through the pandemic, leading cash management initiatives and creating operational efficiencies to set the foundation for a strong recovery.

As VP Operations for Saudi Arabia, Maher Is responsible for the performance of the hotels in Saudi, driving operational excellence, building stronger owner relationships, driving greater owner returns and developing the national talent. He is also focussed on renovations and upgrading the quality of our current portfolio across the nation and driving Journey to Tomorrow, IHG’s 10-year responsible business plan, in the country.

H.E. Makram M. Queisi

ITIC Speaker
H.E. Makram M. Queisi
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities
Jordan

H.E. Makram Mustafa A. Queisi assumed the role of Minister of Tourism and Antiquities in Jordan in 2022. His previous ministerial role was as Minister of Youth in 2018.

He is the holder of B.A. in Computer Science (Jordan) and Master of Arts in Diplomatic Studies (U.K).

H.E. Queisi is an experienced diplomat having represented the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan at Ambassadorial level in a number of countries including France, Portugal, Slovakia, Austria, Monaco and The Vatican. Furthermore, he acted as Jordan’s permanent representative at various international organizations including UNESCO, CTBTO, IAEA, UNIDO, UNODC, UNOV, OSCE.

H.E. Queisi’s diplomatic acumen has been recognized and appreciated by a number Heads of States through their bestowment of recognition medals such as Grand Golden Badge of Honor of Austria, Swedish Grand Officer Medal as well as numerous recognition medals from Jordan, Spain, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, and Ukraine.

Programme

Register to attend
Wednesday 3 May 2023
ATM Global Stage, DWTC, DUBAI
from 10:30 to 11:45

Lee-Anne Singer

ITIC Speaker
Lee-Anne Singer
Chairwoman
FEDHASA

As the Marketing and Sales Director, Lee-Anne is responsible for the sales and marketing at The Singer Group, a well-known travel and hospitality company with a track record of almost 60 years in the business.

With over 20 years of experience, she focuses on business development, identifying new business opportunities and partnerships for the Group. She was recently appointed as Chairperson of FEDHASA Cape, and serves on the board of Glendale, a home for intellectually disabled adults.

Her career highlights include speaking at the International Travel Tech Conference in Tel Aviv and winning the ‘Western Cape Positive Role Model’ title in the Gender Mainstreaming Awards.

Lee-Anne has worked in various roles within the media industry, including CNBC Africa, The Property Magazine and Top Women in Business and Government.

Corné Koch

ITIC Speaker
Corné Koch
Head of the Western Cape Convention Bureau
Wesgro

Cornė Koch is Head of the Cape Town and Western Cape Convention Bureau at Wesgro (the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape). She is a passionate promoter of the importance of business events for economic growth and responsible to position the Western Cape as the top destination in Africa to host a meeting.

After commencing her formal career at the South African Chamber of Commerce, she enters her career in the destination marketing sector in 2003 – 2008 as the Gauteng Tourism Authority’s Business Tourism Manger. Leaving the sector for a short stint to pursue her other passion, that of strategic communication, she took on the role of Communications Manager at the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa before re-entering the sector in 2011 as Trade Development and Partnership Manager at Gauteng Tourism Authority.

In 2014 she relocated to Cape Town joining the Wesgro team in the Destination Marketing Organisation. Corne currently serves as a member of the Board of the International Congress and Convention Association, as well as the Cape Castle Control Board and is past Chair of the BestCities Global Alliance.