Crystal Magazine Jun 13, 2023
BEVERLY HILLS TOURISM DELEGATION EMBARKS ON SUCCESSFUL GCC ROADSHOW
– A prominent tourism delegation from the City of Beverly Hills has just completed a highly successful regional roadshow across the GCC region. The exceptional journey was aimed at strengthening partnerships and showcasing the commitment of Beverly Hills to the region, which has long been one of the leading global source markets for the city’s robust tourism sector, due to its enduring popularity as the epitome of luxury travel for the region’s UHNW travellers.
The delegation, spearheaded by the Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau (BHCVB) and senior representatives from some of the hotel’s leading luxury hotels, including L’Ermitage Beverly Hills and The Maybourne Beverly Hills, undertook a tour of Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, with aim of fostering deeper connections with key tourism partners and providing a platform to connect with the region’s most discerning travellers.
Over the course of six days, the delegation engaged in a series of highly productive one-on-one trade meetings and strategic engagements including exclusive dinners, lunch events and senior level breakfast briefings, to showcase the distinctive allure of Beverly Hills and ensure the city remains a leading destination for the region’s traveling elite for years to come.
Exploring the future of luxury travel
In Saudi Arabia, BHCVB collaborated with leading travel experts from the region to present a media forum exploring the topic ‘The future of luxury travel’. The event successfully served as a platform to exchange knowledge and offer valuable insights to new and emerging luxury destinations, as well as delving into the latest developments in luxury travel.
Sarah Hedley Hymers, Editorial Director at Connecting Travel, expertly moderated a series of thought-provoking one-on-one interviews and panel discussions providing valuable insight on what luxury travelers looking for when they plan trips and how destinations can meet those expectations.
The distinguished line-up of speakers sharing their expertise and unique perspectives on how the industry is adapting and shaping a new era of luxury travel included:
⦁ Julie Wagner – CEO, BHCVB
⦁ Scott Berger – General Manager, L’Ermitage Beverly Hills and Chair of BHCVB Board of Directors
⦁ Rob Arrow, Head of Almosafer Concierge & Senior Director of Product Development
⦁ Waleed Alsobeaei – Founder and Managing Partner, Saudi Premier Group
⦁ Amin Alredhwan – Private Banking, Al Rajhi Bank
⦁ Sammy Musa – CEO of Gulf Reps
The integration of emerging technologies, personalised experiences, and the importance of collaboration, stood out as the hot topics of the day, along with how the evolving needs and expectations of today’s UHNW traveller are redefining luxury travel experiences.
In addition to the panel sessions, BHCVB’s Julie Wagner, provided an insightful introduction to the destination and participated in an engaging interview exploring into how Beverly Hills has successfully maintained its reputation as the world's first luxury Destination. Guests were also treated to an exclusive preview of a new short film produced by BHCVB and which promises to build further excitement surrounding travel to Beverly Hills.
Another highlight of the forum was a fascinating keynote presentation from Almosafer’s Rob Arrow, who discussed the growing importance of using innovative strategies to craft tailor-made services to ensure travellers have unparalleled experiences that cater to their unique preferences and desires to create those all-important memories that will stay with them long after their trip ends.
Reflecting on the productive trip, Julie Wagner stated: "Our visit to the GCC region has been a resounding success. The Middle East is incredibly important for Beverly Hills, and this roadshow has allowed us to strengthen our ties with the region, as well as showcase our luxury offerings and explore exciting new opportunities. We are thrilled with the response we received and are excited about the potential for growth and collaboration in this region."
