He sees strong concepts, genuine experiences, and smart execution shaping tourism’s future.
Asia Pacific’s hospitality sector is entering a more demanding phase. Investors are becoming more selective, development costs continue to rise, and travellers have more destinations and experiences to choose from. For hotels and tourism projects, simply having a strong concept on paper is no longer enough.
Matt Gebbie, Managing Director, Pacific Asia at Horwath HTL, has seen these changes unfold across more than two decades in the industry. Since joining the firm in 2004, he has been involved in the planning, feasibility, and strategic advisory of more than 300 hospitality and tourism projects across Asia Pacific, spanning markets including Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Maldives, South Korea, and Singapore.
His work covers hotel development, tourism master planning, market feasibility, and asset strategy, with investors, developers, and financial institutions amongst those he advises. Before joining Horwath HTL, Gebbie spent more than a decade in hospitality roles across Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, alongside five years as a solicitor specialising in commercial litigation and industrial relations.
This combination of operational, legal, and advisory experience gives him a broad perspective on what makes hospitality projects commercially viable and sustainable over the long term.
As a judge for the TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 - Asia, Gebbie shared his views on the changing hospitality landscape, evolving traveller expectations, technology, talent, and what separates genuinely strong industry initiatives from those that simply sound good.
Having worked on more than 300 hospitality and tourism projects, what are some of the biggest shifts you are seeing in how hotels and destinations are being developed today?
Owners are more sophisticated and more selective. Whether it's feasibility, renovation, repositioning, or valuation projects, we are being pushed to test our demand forecasts, check our data sources, and make sure our facilities recommendations and cash flow forecasts hold up.
Capital is harder to source, and construction costs keep rising, so raising capital through branded residences has boomed. Mixed-use and lifestyle-led projects keep growing in both resort markets and cities.
Populations are growing, incomes are rising, and people take more trips each year. As primary markets fill up, secondary destinations are attracting attention, both for diversity and for experiential travellers. Access and infrastructure still decide whether these projects work, particularly when they need both domestic and international visitors. Operators and owners also negotiate harder on terms.
How have traveller expectations changed the way hotels and tourism destinations approach development and guest experience?
For corporate road warriors and mass leisure travellers, very little has changed — good access, good transport, good beds, good showers, and good food.
The change is in the middle. More travellers have more money, more time, and more interest in mixing it up, which is why secondary destinations are gaining ground. These travellers want something real. They look for local character, wellness, privacy, and space, and they pay for it. They expect creativity, a sense of place and meaningful service. Developers now design around the guest experience from day one, rather than adding it at the end. Generic products lose out, and not just at the high end; add some creativity to products at all price points.
What makes a destination attractive and sustainable in the long term?
Great question, and many mature resort and city destinations are testing it right now. How do we keep people coming back?
In my opinion, a destination lasts when it protects what drew visitors in the first place. That could be one thing, like nature, or several: culture, community, and a diversity of attractions. It depends on the guest the destination wants to attract.
Good governance is essential. Regulation and enforcement let a destination keep control of its soul and its appeal. Be true. Manage the infrastructure, control the supply and look after the local community, so guests are greeted with smiles. It's really not rocket science.
How important is technology becoming in improving hotel operations and the guest experience?
Very important, but hospitality is a people business, so the use of AI and technology should stay out of sight. It helps with revenue management, energy use, staffing, and personalisation of the guests' booking and pre/post stay experience. Guests welcome it when it makes their lives easier. They dislike it when it replaces hospitality.
The goal for every operator now is how to best use tech to free up their teams to spend more time with guests.
What do you think the hospitality industry needs to start doing today to prepare for the challenges of the next decade?
Without wanting to repeat myself, hospitality is a people business, and the hospitality industry must ensure they attract and retain great people. The industry must train and pay people better.
It also must take climate risk and energy costs seriously in design and operations. Yesterday!
Owners and hotel operators should align their interests earlier through honest, open dialogue, setting expectations, and working together. Franchise growth in Southeast Asia can only happen if owners are skilled enough. Operators can help by coaching them, and owners should choose the right operator and negotiate the management agreement with that handover in mind.
As a judge for the TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 - Asia, what qualities would make a hospitality or tourism initiative stand out to you?
Substance over talk. Be genuine, follow through on the concept and don't cut corners. Spend that final 5-10%, because it really does matter. Create something original - always.
Listen to your consulting team. Don't get stuck on your preconceived notions of what will work, because you may not be the guest your property is hoping to attract. A strong team and a clear concept matter. Did I say don't cut corners?
