UAE halal tourism spending to grow 4.4%

Spending on family or halal tourism in the UAE is expected to increase by 4.4 per cent this year compared to the previous year, according to a study by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dubai Chamber) yesterday.

The UAE is considered a top origin and destination country for family tourism, an umbrella term used to refer to the body of Shariacompliant, halal travel offerings. Outbound family travel expenditure of Emiratis is set to rise at 3.6 per cent this year over the previous year, according to the study.

Five countries in the Middle East — including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Iran, and Qatar — stand behind 40 per cent of total Muslim expenditure on travel, while Southeast Asia leads in terms of the number of Muslim travellers due to its populous countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

The study also predicts new trends to emerge in 2016, which can potentially reshape local tourism. The drive towards developing cruise tourism is one of these trends. The emerging segment is expected to grow by 30 per cent in the 20162017 season, as the emirate prepares to welcome 155 cruise vessels, carrying 650,000 visitors.

The Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) for 2016 ranked the UAE second, ahead of Turkey. Malaysia was ranked first in the world in terms of Muslim travel friendliness.

Industry experts expect families from the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries who seek cultural experiences and Muslim-friendly facilities to increasingly target the UAE, Morocco, and Asian destinations such as Malaysia and Indonesia in 2016, Dubai Chamber said in a statement. However, visits to Turkey are expected to drop, dragged down by the recent instability, it added.