Starwood's Middle East roadshow unveils latest developments in hotel and leisure industry across the region

A highlight of the roadshow is a series of industry workshops that will take place in each destination, namely Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha, Amman, Jeddah and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia will be a key focus of this visit with the roadshow being hosted in Riyadh on 25th followed by Jeddah on the 26th March 2006.

Bringing together over forty experts from Starwood hotels worldwide, the special event will provide an excellent opportunity for hotel industry specialists to exchange views and expertise on latest developments in the industry.

"With an impressive 21 per cent growth in revenue per available room (revPAR), the Middle East region was the top performing region in the world during 2005 for the second year in row." said Guide De Wilde, Vice President, Regional Director of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in the Middle East, "Growth was fuelled by an incredible 23 per cent increase in average room rates which soared to US$117 compared to US$95 in 2004. Hotels' occupancy continues to be at an all time high at nearly 70 per cent."

"Following the robust performance of Starwood operations, we managed to achieve another remarkable milestone in 2005 with the acquisition of the Le Meridien brand and the related management and franchise business for the portfolio of 130 hotels and resorts globally. This major move enabled us to lead the industry", added De Wilde.

According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), current trends show that tourism continues to be one of the most dynamic economic sectors in the Middle East. Forecasts for international tourist arrivals to the Middle East show that there will be 68.5 million arrivals in 2020. This represents an annual growth rate of 7.1 per cent over the period 1995-2020, which is above the global growth rate of 4.1 per cent.

"Starwood is proud to be part of the dynamic growth of hotel industry in the Middle East and the Gulf in particular, with a longstanding commitment that goes back to 40 years as the first hotel operator in the region," concluded De Wilde.