KSA top source market
MohamedSaad, Director of Sales and Marketing, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, talks about the importance of Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates.
The Saudi market has a huge potential in yielding high revenue, Saad believes. “The UAE remains the top travel destination for families from Saudi Arabia, and this trend supports the hotels in achieving their revenue target by as much as five times per year. In addition, Saudi Arabia sees an increase of 5 per cent in outbound travel, compared to the same quarter last year, 2 per cent of which are from family travelers,” he says.
Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham will actively take part in major exhibitions in the region including the Riyadh Travel Fair, Jeddah International Tourism Exhibition, and Oman Tourism Exhibition. “We will offer tactical promotions to attract families, partner with major wholesale agents, and sign up with the major corporate and govern- ment organisations in the GCC. The tourists from Saudi Arabia are mainly looking for family-friendly and kid-friendly facilities. They take in factors including room sizes, amenities like kitchenettes, as well as the rates. They also prefer locations near major attractions of the city, especially the shopping malls.”
Saad opines that GCC, particularly KSA, is the most important market for UAE and that they are expecting increased arrivals from this region throughout the year. The GCC contributed 33 per cent to the total revenue of the property, 23 per cent of which are from Saudi Arabia (10 per cent from other GCC regions). Their expectations from the Riyadh Travel Fair is to further strengthen their existing relationships with their partners in Saudi Arabia and at the same time, tap new business through their participation.
The UAE remains as top travel destination for families from Saudi Arabia, and this trend supports the hotels in achieving their revenue target