Sadly, the world continues to be a dangerous place, with terrorist attacks on the increase, particularly in the MENA region. Hotels have seemingly been identified as a “soft target”, as by their very nature, they must be welcoming and friendly establishments as opposed to fortresses. Following the global incidents witnessed in 2016, we outline below the top 5 threats currently impacting security planning and strategy in the hotel sector.
- Vehicle Borne Attacks – including ramming assaults and explosive devices
- Person Borne Improvised Explosive Device – Suicide Vest
- Active Shooter Scenario – “Lone Wolf”
- Kidnapping
- Cyber Attacks
At our recent Hotel Security Briefing which acted as a platform to discuss hotel security challenges in the MENA region, the panel were asked why hotel operators should pay close attention to security in the UAE and beyond. The response can be broken down into three key points:
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Financial Impact
- Reputation
The hotel business is not in the business of security in the traditional sense, however for these reasons it is fundamental that they prioritise it.
