Le Meridien team targets intra-regional business

In a bid to widen its customer base in the face of a likely downturn in international visitors to the Middle East region, Le Meridien is sending its top sales teams around the Gulf to gain regional business.

"Both the Middle East and West Asia are already popular holiday and business destinations for regional visitors, and in the current climate, we are committed to offering value-for-money rates to strengthen this development," said Russel Sharpe, senior vice president, sales & marketing, Middle East and West Asia.

"While international travel will be hit in the short-term, we now need to focus on our bread-and-butter markets – those neighbours who can provide both corporate and leisure business for our hotels through the lean times," explained Sharpe.

The upscale hotel group will also be launching a seasonal discount programme – Winter Passport – that has been brought forward this year to start a month early in November, and is promoting partnership agreements with organisations such as American Express and Emirates’ Skywards frequent flyer programme.

"Events this month have demonstrated the importance of working through partnerships to anchor our sales push, during both good times and bad," commented Sharpe.

Meanwhile, Le Meridien remains focused on rapid expansion in the region, targeting both Egypt and the UAE for resort development, as well as nearby Oman.

"We are seeing more and more new airline routes opening up new markets for Dubai – links to regional cities in India for instance," he said. "It has been encouraging to learn that the Dubai authorities have, even now, brought forward plans for the new terminal at Dubai International Airport, demonstrating the long-term commitment of the emirate to a role as both an aviation and tourism hub for the region.

"The Arabian Gulf is truly winning merit worldwide as a major winter sunshine destination, as well as a cultural, sports and shopping centre too," said Sharpe, who confirmed that, with more than 1,100 rooms in Dubai, Le Meridien is the largest international operator of beachfront accommodation in the emirate.

"Despite this, we have run at 100 per cent several times during the past year, and even after events in the US, we have achieved occupancies averaging more than 70 per cent at our beachfront hotels in Dubai."