The UAE’s popularity as a must-visit destination will continue in 2019, with experts predicting that new leisure additions and improving connectivity will continue to attract tourists.
dubai — The UAE’s popularity as a must-visit destination will only continue in 2019, with experts predicting that new leisure additions, improving connectivity from carriers and word-of-mouth references from returning visitors will continue to draw in a steady stream of tourists.
Lakshmi Anand, operations manager at International Travel Services in Dubai, noted that UAE travellers always crave new destinations to explore.
“Countries such as Georgia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Thailand are the latest popular destinations for UAE residents,” she said.
“Most of the travellers plan their holidays either during school holidays or public holidays, so, when choosing the destination, they also ensure that its ideal for the whole family,” she added.
Helal Almarri, director-general of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said events such as the Chinese New Year and Diwali, aimed at two of Dubai’s top source markets, have played a key role in drawing visitors.
“Dubai has been continually growing as a leader in global travel, with the highest average spend per tourist and ranked fourth most visited city in the world, according to the latest MasterCard surveys.”
Sameer Bagul, EVP and managing director of Cleartrip Middle East, said the UAE’s travel and tourism sector continued to expand in 2018, driven by a steady growth in overnight international tourist arrivals. He noted that even though growth was slightly slower in the country’s prime markets such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a solid increase in tourism visitation to the Northern Emirates has helped offset the decline and maintain the momentum in the market. The country has also seen a sharp rise in visitor spending during the year.
“With its diverse attractions and
Dubai has the highest average spend per tourist and is ranked the fourth most visited city in the world
Helal Almarri, director-general of Dubai Tourism
Countries such as Georgia, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Thailand are the latest popular destinations for UAE Lakshmi Anand, operations manager at International Travel Services in Dubai
The outbound Chinese market represents a vast, untapped pool of affluent and adventurous travellers Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market
hospitality offerings, the UAE’s tourism sector is bound for significant growth in 2019,” Bagul said.
He added: “There will be a tremendous increase in experiential, solo and green travel across destinations worldwide, while the UAE, in particular, will see greater demand for its medical and wellness tourism offerings and its beach resorts.”
Asian travellers rise
According to the latest data compiled by Expedia Group from the third quarter of 2018, the number of Asian travellers to the UAE, particularly from China and India, has significantly increased. While travellers from the US and UK topped the list for travel into the country, travellers from China and India showed the highest growth in demand compared to the same period last year — almost 245 per cent and over 60 per cent, respectively.
“The UAE continues to be a tourist hotspot, especially for Chinese and Indian travellers,” said Orla Lee, VP of market management EMEA at Expedia Group. “This growth could be driven by various incentives introduced to the region, which include an increase in air capacity by budget carriers from China and India, increased business opportunities, marketing tie-ups and promotional activities.”
According to the latest research by Colliers International for the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019 exhibition, the number of Chinese tourists travelling to the GCC is expected to increase 81 per cent from 1.6 million in 2018 to 2.9 million in 2022. In the UAE, China is the fifth largest source market behind India, Saudi Arabia, the UK and Oman.
Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “China is set to account for a quarter of international tourism by 2030 — and owing to its many business and investment opportunities,
as well as a new generation of leisure attractions and retail destinations, the GCC is set to capitalise on this growth with millions of Chinese tourists about to make their first international trip.”
“Just seven per cent of the total Chinese population possess a passport, compared to approximately 40 per cent of Americans and 76 per cent of British. The outbound Chinese market represents a vast, untapped pool of affluent and adventurous travellers,” Curtis added.
Over the last 10 years, airports in the Middle East and China have shown the fastest increase in hub connectivity worldwide with Emirates, Etihad, Saudia, Gulf Air, China Eastern and Air China all providing direct flights between the GCC and destinations in China. Emirates, the leading passenger service provider from the GCC to China, now offers 38 weekly flights between both destinations.