A forum on emerging trends and the future of Cambodia’s hospitality industry will be held this coming Wednesday, August 29, at Sofitel Hotel.
The main feature of “Meet the Experts/Cambodia” will be presentations by industry experts on a variety of topics and issues surrounding one of the Kingdom’s most important sectors.
Organizers said the event will be good for developers to discuss and learn more about the changes and trends in Cambodia’s hospitality industry and the approaches envisioned, proposed or being implemented to adapt or to take advantage of them.
From the event, attendees will learn and will have the opportunity to discuss with experts a slew of exciting trends in Cambodia’s hospitality sector, including: 1) Local and Regional Hospitality Market Updates and Megatrends; 2) Branded Residences and Condotel Products; 3) Development of Design and Boutique Hotels; 4) Traditional and Alternative Brands; and 5) Vacation Home Products.
Leading the speakers are Thong Rathasak, Deputy General Director of Ministry of Tourism. Mr Rathasak will talk about “Cambodia Hospitality Market Updates”.
In the last few years, Cambodia’s hospitality industry has experienced rapid growth, mainly buoyed by a vibrant tourism industry. Cambodia is receiving an average of 5 million tourists every year and is expecting 6 million foreign arrivals by year end. Consequently, the number of hotels, guesthouses, and other industry-affiliated establishments in the country drastically increased. At the end of 2017, there were 781 hotels in the Kingdom, 134 more than the previous year. For guesthouses, it increased from 1,996 to 2,255. There were also 2,239 restaurants, 881 entertainment centers, and 619 tourist agencies.
Other speakers include Mauro Gasparotti, Director Savills Hotels, Asia Pacific; Christian Pucher, Director of Development Asia, Hilton Worldwide; and Kevin Beauvais, Founder and CEO, InVision Hospitality.
Mr. Gasparotti will talk about “Megatrends and Development Opportunities. Mr Pucher’s lecture will be on “How to Compete in Fast Evolving Markets: Traditional and New Brands”, while Mr Beauvais will speak about “Design-Oriented Hotels and Limited Service Models”.
The Cambodian hospitality industry underwent a lot of changes in the last several years. It was said that never before has the hospitality industry experienced so much disruption with the advent of new breeds of travelers, leaps in technology and the emergence of new accommodation habits, tastes and approaches to travel.
For example, there is a growing preference, especially among the wealthier visitors, for Condotels or Branded Residences, instead of the traditional hotel. Also, the majority of foreign visitors to Cambodia are now Chinese.
Such disruption requires alternative accommodation models and presents opportunities for nimble and progressive developers looking for competitive advantage.
There will also be a panel discussion on “Condotels and Branded Residences”, which will be moderated by Lada Shelkovnikova, Partner, Withersworldwide. The panelists are Michel Cassagnes, Managing Director, Archetype Cambodia.; Sunny Soo, Managing Director, Keystone Property Consultants; and Ing Sophealeak , Partner, Bun & Associates.
A Condotel is a condominium project operated as a hotel, with a reception desk, room service, and other services and amenities available or offered in hotels. Branded Residences, meanwhile, are residential developments incorporated into a hotel with a brand name. Occupants of Branded Residences have access to the facilities, luxuries, and services of attached hotels.
Just like with Condotels, Branded Residences are becoming more popular in Cambodia, and the market for them here, while still relatively small, has been growing continuously, with more hotel operators, including such well-known names as Starwood and Four Seasons, offering Branded Residences. More often than not, these Branded Residences are built as part of mixed-use developments.
The event, which doubles as a Networking Night, is a collaboration between Savills Asia Pacific Hotels and Ministry of Tourism, Archetype Group, Keystone Property Consultants, Hilton, InVision Hospitality, Withersworldwide, and Bun & Associates.
Established more than a century ago in the United Kingdom, Savills is one of the world’s largest real estate firms, with more than 600 offices in North America, Asia, Europe, and other parts of the world. Savills is also a major global hotel developer.
The event is limited to invitation only, subject to confirmation on available seats. If you are interested in attending, please contact:
Ms Shuly on +855 (0) 77 774 777 or shuly@keystone-savills.asia
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