Hospitality marketing in the UAE is evolving. While attracting international travellers remains fundamental to the industry’s growth, local residents are becoming an increasingly important audience for hotels , restaurants, workspaces and leisure experiences.
For Accor, that shift is not about replacing international tourism. Instead, it reflects a broader commercial evolution driven by changing consumer behaviour, new working patterns and the UAE’s growing resident population. Hotels are no longer viewed solely as places to stay during a trip; they are becoming destinations that residents visit throughout the year for dining, wellness, flexible working, family activities and short breaks.
As a result, hospitality marketing is moving beyond selling destinations towards building ongoing relationships with audiences that already live in the market.
“This isn’t just about the current situation. It’s a proactive embrace of significant evolvements at Accor, especially within our Food & Beverage offerings and staycation experiences. Local resident demand is now a core, year-round engine for sustained growth,” says Kerry Healy, Chief Commercial Officer, Premium, Midscale & Economy, MEA APAC at Accor.
Recent market uncertainty has reinforced the value of this strategy, but Healy emphasises that the focus on residents is fundamentally a structural change rather than a temporary response. As the UAE’s resident population continues to grow, hospitality brands are recognising the importance of balancing international tourism with a consistent domestic audience that engages with hotels far more frequently.
“While global travel remains foundational, hotels across the UAE increasingly recognise residents as an incredibly valuable, sophisticated audience. They are high-frequency guests, seeking repeat experiences, and discerning in their choices, which really drives innovation,” says Healy.
That changing relationship is also altering how consumers use hospitality spaces. Residents are increasingly looking for experiences that fit around everyday life; seeking shorter, more flexible and experience-led moments closer to home rather than major holidays. Short staycations, flexible workspaces, family activities and wellness experiences are becoming part of regular routines instead of occasional indulgences.
Healy describes this as the era of the “micro-escape”, where residents seek shorter, more accessible breaks that fit into busy schedules. Rather than planning long holidays, many consumers are looking for convenient opportunities to recharge over weekends, school holidays and public holidays.
For hospitality brands, this means moving beyond transactional interactions – such as a holiday booking, business trip or annual getaway – and creating more frequent reasons for consumers to engage.
The rise of hybrid working has accelerated this behavioural shift even further. As the boundaries between work and leisure continue to blur, demand for work-from-hotel concepts and flexible hospitality spaces has grown significantly. Hotels are increasingly expected to provide environments that support productivity alongside relaxation, creating new opportunities to engage guests beyond traditional overnight stays.
“People aren’t just looking for a desk, they want a genuinely comfortable and inspiring environment that allows them to be productive. That’s why we’ve been so proactive with fl…