Interview: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ Panos Loupasis on the group’s expansion plans

What are Wyndham Group’s future expansion plans?

Over the past few years, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has significantly bolstered its presence in the region. We want to be the region’s leading player in the mid-market hotel segment, and our focus for the remainder of 2023 and beyond will be to continue delivering diverse accommodation choices to travellers across the region.

As we look ahead, we have a steady development plan that reaffirms our commitment to delivering strong growth in key destinations across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Our current development pipeline in the region includes approximately 28 hotels and almost 4,500 as part of our commitment to providing accommodation that suits every type of traveller’s needs, as well as supporting the UAE, Saudi Arabia and wider regional governments in their visionary efforts to build world-leading tourism destinations.

Traveller preferences are evolving, and with this comes greater demand for more diverse accommodation choices.

With the increasing cost of living, demand for mid-market accommodation choices is continuing to be strong. We are also witnessing an interesting balance between short, overnight and extended stays, and we will continue to seek to offer solutions to suit these needs and evolve in line with the needs and preferences of our guests.

What are some of  the group’s key achievements so far in 2023?

In 2023, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts achieved significant milestones, solidifying its position as a prominent player in the global hospitality industry. One of the most recent and significant accomplishments was the inauguration of our 100th hotel in Turkey, with the addition of the 176-room new construction Days Hotel by Wyndham Istanbul Esenyurt, followed by the opening of Ramada by Wyndham Karapinar in Central Anatolia; Istanbul New Airport Hotel, Trademark Collection by Wyndham; and the upscale Wyndham Afyonkarahisar Thermal & Spa, amongst other new hotels.

These openings have allowed us to reach approximately 108 open and operating hotels and a development pipeline of approximately 20 additional properties, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to expanding our footprint in this vibrant and highly sought-after travel destination, particularly for tourists from the Middle East.

On the loyalty front, we achieved a remarkable milestone with our Wyndham Rewards programme, surpassing a whopping 100 million members. This achievement underscores the trust and loyalty of our extensive and ever-expanding customer base, reaffirming Wyndham’s commitment to delivering rewarding and unforgettable experiences to our cherished members.

Additionally, we opened the Ramada Encore by Wyndham Al Khobar Corniche in Saudi Arabia. This strategic move not only strengthens our presence but also exemplifies our dedication to offering high-quality mid-scale hotels in Saudi Arabia, catering to the evolving needs of travelers. Collectively, these achievements reflect Wyndham’s unwavering commitment to making hotel travel more inclusive and less exclusive, ensuring that memorable and enriching experiences are accessible to all.

Within my new remit as market managing director for Türkiye and MEA, I am fully committed to continue spearheading brand operations, business development, owner relations, and commercial leadership throughout the region, for the rest of this year and in the years to come.  Our collective aim as a group is to continue fostering growth and excellence in this region and across the globe.

What are the brand’s initiatives toward sustainability?

Our Wyndham Green sustainability programme highlights our commitment to helping protect and preserve the environment globally.

The programme is designed to assist hotels around the world in reducing their environmental footprint and operating more efficiently through eco-friendly initiatives. Each participating hotel undertakes a five-level certification to improve in areas such as energy efficiency, reduction of emissions, conservation of water, reduction in waste, and reduction of their environmental footprint.

In addition to this, Wyndham has set out a robust set of ESG performance objectives to deliver by 2025, with targets across environmental, human rights, community impact, diversity, equity and inclusion.

As the spotlight falls on the UAE as the host country of the upcoming COP 28 conference later this year, we’re very much looking forward to what this will bring to the industry as a whole, inspiring organisations to come together and mark meaningful change towards the most pressing climate challenges of our present and future, with a reaffirmed focus on industry operations that are socially, ethically, and environmentally responsible. We also expect this major event to solidify the position of the region as a business and holiday destination with a wide range of offerings for all visitors.

What are your predictions for the UAE and hospitality industry?

As a key global travel hub, the UAE is set to continue to witness year-on-year growth from regional and international travellers, in addition to local market demand.

As the fourth-most visited city in the world in 2022, Dubai alone welcomed 14.36 million international overnight visitors. Initiatives such as the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 have set the country on the path to becoming a top global tourism destination, alongside Dubai’s vision to become the world’s most visited city by 2025.

We expect to see further diversification in the scale and range of long- and- short-term accommodation demand, with Wyndham’s existing hotels and pipeline offering a range of properties primed to cater to ongoing needs. From upscale and beachfront properties, such as Wyndham Residences The Palm, Dubai, to economy hotels offering comfortable amenities, including Days Hotel by Wyndham Dubai Deira, there are options to suit every need for UAE domestic and international travellers, no matter which airport they fly into.

What’s your outlook for the tourism and hospitality industry of Saudi Arabia?

As we know, Saudi Arabia is on the fast track to bolstering and amplifying its inbound tourism market, topping the list of most visited Arab countries in 2022.

With the Saudi Vision 2030 seeking to increase the number of visitors to the kingdom to 100 million visitors by 2030, alongside reforms surrounding visas and entertainment, the kingdom is opening up to the world at an impressive rate.

The introduction of Riyadh Air has only accelerated this, with plans to fly to more than 100 destinations by 2030, making the kingdom even more accessible.

From an industry perspective, the introduction of a new airline typically drives an increase in competition in the industry. It opens the door to potentially, more competitive flight pricing, making travel to Saudi Arabia more affordable and leading to an uptick in passenger numbers, but also leaving consumers with more budget for hotel and on-the-ground expenses – a great advantage to hotels and local tourism and entertainment organisations alike.

Greater travel connectivity anywhere in the region is a positive sign of growth, opening up significant tourism possibilities for new markets, as well as increasing the potential for increased visitors to neighbouring countries. When Qatar recently welcomed a host of international visitors in 2022, an increase in tourism was experienced in other areas of the region, as travellers were encouraged to explore wider corners of the Middle East.

In the same breath, increased tourism in Saudi Arabia will likely spur a positive uptick in visitors to the UAE and wider region. You only have to look at the UAE’s phenomenal success story and the rapid evolution of the tourism industry here to imagine the exciting and endless opportunities that lie ahead for Saudi Arabia and the region as a whole.