Mark Walsh, group exhibition director of Reed Travel Exhibitions, predicts fast growth in MidEast travel market
Destinations in Europe as well as Asia are now homing in on the Middle East’s multibillion outbound travel market, which could top $20 billion within the next 20 years, the World Tourism Organisation has said.
A rising population and increasing disposable incomes in GCC will drive the market, experts explained.
“The region is not only one of the fastest growing inbound markets, but for some, more crucially, it is one of the fastest growing outbound markets,” said Mark Walsh, group exhibition director of Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market 2011.
The Arabian Travel Market 2012, which takes from April 30-May 3, 2011 has witnessed a surge in enquiries which has culminated in almost 59% of exhibition space being booked already.
“We have received bookings from all five continents of the world reconfirming the importance of this region's outbound tourism potential,” said Walsh.
The WTO has predicted that an additional two million Middle East travellers will go abroad in the next 20 years, taking its total of outbound tourists to 37 million and spending an estimated US $20 billion. They will account for 2.2% of global outbound travel, a rise of 0.7%.
“According to the WTO, the average tourist from the UAE spends US $22,000 a year on flights and accommodation alone, totalling US $6.6 billion spent on outbound travel annually.
“Saudi Arabia’s market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion,” added Walsh.
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