Millennials opting for cultural and eco-friendly experiences
dubai — Millennials looking to book their holidays are increasingly looking for vacation packages that allow them to experience the culture of a city, and which are not harmful to the environment, experts at the Arabian Travel Market said.
Speaking to Khaleej Times at the exhibition, Ahmad Obaid Al Qaseer, COO of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), noted that there had been a shift in the way that travellers today are travelling and booking hotel stays.
“There is a lot of information that is available to visitors today, and they make use of it to plan everything about their trip. The days of them going to a travel agent and asking them to plan an itinerary that will put them in a group tour with other travellers to see all the sights are gone. Today, travellers, especially younger travellers, want to travel to a location and explore everything about it by themselves. They want to engage with the locals, learn about the history of a place, and look for authentic and unique experiences.”
Al Qaseer also revealed that two areas which had seen a surge in popularity among travellers were cultural tourism and eco-tourism. Looking to cater to these trends, Shurooq recently announced the opening of Al Faya Lodge, a retreat in the heart of the historic Mleiha Desert. The project joins other developments in the Sharjah Collection including the Kingfisher Lodge, which is located within the Kalba eco-tourism project; and Al Badayer Oasis. All the developments under the Sharjah Collection have been created with sustainability and cultural sensitivity in mind, Al Qaseer said.
“All the activities that are offered at the locations are unique and designed to reinforce Sharjah’s position as a must visit global destination,” he said. “You can visit the historic sites, see the natural beauty of the desert and mangroves, and observe the local wildlife.”
Laurent A. Voivenel, senior vicepresident of Operations and Development for the Middle East, Africa and India at Swiss-Belhotel International, also agreed that there was a growing trend among travellers to carefully look at the impact of their travels on the environment. He highlighted the critical need for institutions to reduce the carbon footprint across the travel and hospitality industries. According to a report by United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the hotel industry accounts for one per cent of global annual carbon emissions, while tourism as a whole accounts for eight per cent of carbon emissions, and this is set to increase as the demand continues to grow. As a result, the hotel industry must reduce its carbon emissions by 66 per cent by 2030, and 90 per cent by 2050.
“It has been calculated that 30 per cent of global annual carbon emissions stem from buildings simply through energy consumption,” said Laurent. “As a first step, the development of innovative design concepts is essential for energy efficiency in hotel buildings for both new and existing stock. Renewable energy is a global phenomenon and the adoption of solar PV systems in the Middle East is starting to accelerate. Adoption of these can lead to significant benefits for the hospitality sector.”
Laurent revealed that Swiss-Belhotel International is ensuring that its properties are implementing and adopting policies such as strict water efficiency, energy saving, recycling and other environmentally responsible practices. Each hotel has been given a realistic target every year to invest in energy efficiency and other methods in order to reduce carbon emissions.
[Younger travellers] want to engage with the locals, learn about the history of a place and look for authentic and unique experiences
Ahmad Obaid Al Qaseer, COO of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority