Six Takeaways from SAHIC 2022

The annual Latin America Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (SAHIC) is the go-to event to stay ahead of the curve in the region. The conference aims to educate and provide direction for attendees on the Latin American industry, where it is heading, and where the investment opportunities lie.

SB Architects has numerous projects underway in Latin America and the conference, as always, provided incredible insight into the future of the region’s hospitality industry. Our Associate Principal and Vice President, David Rychlowski, Vice President, Miguel Campo, and Country Director, CALA, Lucas Cadavid, provide a rundown of key insights on the LATAM hospitality sector.

Performing Globally
Latin America is one of the best performing global regions, in terms of recovery after 2019, based on an analysis shared by Oliver Ponti from Forward Keys. Visitors from the U.S play a big role in this. Inflation is causing local travelers, such as those from Brazil, to stick to internal travel.

On the Rise
There has been a noticeably improved performance in Costa Rica, Turk & Caicos, Mexico, Dominican Republic. The luxury sector in Mexico is also pushing for recovery.

Back to Business
Business travel has not bounced back as quickly as leisure, but it’s making a significant recovery from 2019. One of the biggest obstacles currently is the potential forced quarantine.

Call to Nature
Getaways to the countryside and mainly outdoor-focused destinations are still preferred over urban escapes. This is pushing innovation within guestroom design to evolve at a lightning pace. An increased appetite for light-on-the-land experiences is pushing hoteliers to innovate, we’re going to continue to see an increase in alternative hospitality offerings such as tents, glamping pods, etc.

Limitless Luxury
The all-inclusive model is evolving/growing in popularity in the LATAM region and will continue to evolve over the next few years with numerous operators from major luxury brands under development.

Immersive Technology
David spoke on a panel alongside a set of industry leaders, including Sandra Ro, CEO, of Global Blockchain Business Council. Sandra discussed how Blockchain Technology could work within the hospitality realm, and she’s currently working with Atari Hotels to see how they can best utilize this technology. These ‘smart’ hotels are slated to set a benchmark in the hospitality industry, bringing virtual reality to guests.