New experiences, changing demographics and AI to influence hospitality industry

This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 7, 2025 – April 13, 2025

Experience-driven spending as opposed to product-centric consumption is expected to drive the global lodging industry, placing itself at the centre of the growing “experience economy”, according to JLL’s Global Hotel Investment Outlook 2025 report. It highlights three themes to look out for in 2025: the blurring boundaries between living, working and leisure for travellers; the evolution of global travel and emerging market influence; and the adoption of artificial intelligence.

JLL points out that the pandemic has changed the way travellers travel and how they choose hotels, noting that: “Following the Covid-19 lockdown…