Busy events, activities schedule for HORECA 2020

12 January 2020: The general manager of Leaders Group for Consulting and Development and head of Horeca Kuwait organizing committee, Nabila Al- Anjeri said that Horeca Kuwait exhibition 2020, due to be held in the period of January 22-24, 2020 at Mishref International fairgrounds, would have a busy schedule of events and activities as all the display areas had been already booked and participating and sponsoring companies had already reached a record number. Al-Anjeri added that the exhibition would be held over a total area of 6,500 square meters at hall number 8 at the Mishref International Fair Grounds and that it intends keeping the valuable trust it gained from leading hospitality, food industries and hotel equipment companies during previous exhibitions. “Preparations for the coming cycle of the exhibition have gone a long way”, Al-Anjeri said noting that participants increased to a record number of over 80 companies and bodies, which reflects growth in hospitality business that is expected to last for several years ahead, not only in food industries, but also in hospitality businesses as already predicted by studies made by Leaders Group and Colliers International who expected annual growth rates to surpass 10 per cent by 2022. “Those predictions were based on the growing number of hotels, luxury malls and what is worth over $3 billion of projects still under construction”, the statement explained. “This rise in the number of projects matches recent World Travel & Tourism Council statistics that expected a rise in the tourism sector contributions in from less than KD one billion in 2017 to gradually reach KD 1.68 billion within 8 years”, Al-Anjeri added noting that this would entail growth in demand for hospitality services in general. Further, Al-Anjeri warned that KSA’s openness and activation of recreational events might have its negative impact on the number of Saudis visiting Kuwait on medium and long runs. “This requires combining the efforts of stakeholders in both the public and private sectors to accelerate developing the free zones, economic cities and island projects already included within the New Kuwait 2035 vision”, she underlined. In addition, Al-Anjeri reiterated that, sooner or later, the current ‘ Tourist renaissance’ in other GCC states must include Kuwait with a lion’s cut in the form of package trips and touristic groups. “That is why experts agree that putting the New Silk Road agreements between Kuwait and China into practice would lead to substantial developments as Kuwait is one of the focal stops and cities in the new Chinese commercial belt that is expected to attract more Chinese tourists”, Al-Anjeri added noting that Chinese tourists visiting GCC states are expected to increase from 1.4 million in 2018 to 2.2 million by 2023. Finally, Al-Anjeri said that several seminars and workshops would be held through the three-day exhibition and that they would be presented by experts and specialists in culinary issues, restaurant projects, food industries and hotels.