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Dusit Princess Residences Dubai Marina opens at the end of April

April 18, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Dusit International has signed a Franchise Agreement with Al Masar Hotel Management LLC, to upgrade the former Dusit Residence Dubai Marina to the Dusit Princess Residences Dubai Marina.

Located at the Marina, a popular tourist destination and preferred residential area just off the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, which includes Dubai Internet City, Dubai Media City and Dubai Knowledge Village, the 146-key property is currently being refurbished and will comprise Serviced Apartments, Holiday Homes and Residential units in a choice of one, two or three-bedroom configurations.

Designed to facilitate business and leisure, the upgraded property will feature meeting facilities, a fully equipped gym, a spa, a wellness-focused restaurant serving healthy and organic foods, and a bakery.

Damac Metro and Tram Stations, the Marina Mall, and The Beach Mall are all within walking distance. Attractions such as Mall of Emirates, Ski Dubai, Ibn Battuta Mall, Emirates Golf Club, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Park and Wild Wadi Water Park can all be reached in 10 – 15 minutes by car. The Dubai World 2020 Expo site is also only a short drive away.

“We are delighted to sign this franchise agreement with Al Masar Hotel Management LLC for Dusit Princess Residences Dubai Marina,” said Mr Lim Boon Kwee, Chief Operating Officer, Dusit International. “The comfort and convenience of the Dusit Princess brand, and the property’s prime location, make it an attractive proposition for anyone looking for a short- or long-term base in the city, especially with the Dubai Expo 2020 coming up.”

H.E. Abdulla Alnuaimi, Chairman, Al Masar Hotel Management LLC, said, “By signing this franchise agreement we can further position the property to delight residents and guests with Dusit’s unique brand of Thai-inspired gracious hospitality. And we look forward to establishing Dusit Princess Residences Dubai as the premier place to live, stay, visit and conduct business.”

Known globally for its distinctive brand of gracious hospitality inspired by authentic Thai values, Bangkok-based Dusit International opened its first hotel in the Middle East more than 15 years ago, in Dubai. Today, the company operates five hotels across the region, including three in the GCC – namely Dusit Thani Dubai, Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, and dusitD2 Kenz Dubai. According to its plans, Dusit will have nine hotels in operation in the GCC by the end of the year.

Dusit Princess Residences Dubai will be the third Dusit-branded property in Dubai, following Dusit Thani Dubai and dusitD2 Kenz. A fourth Dusit-branded property, Dusit Princess Rijas, is slated to open in 2020.

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Official Hotel of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics coming with new agreement

March 30, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Shougang Group and Shangri-La Group has announced a cooperation on a new hotel project at Shougang Park in Beijing. This is a strategic venture to develop an international luxury hotel at the Shougang industrial site. The hotel will be designated as the Official Hotel of Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and it will host the Olympic event reception.

The hotel project is located in the central area of Shougang Park and is closely connected to the grand ski ramp of the 2022 Winter Olympics and the training center of the National Teams, known as the “Four Ices,” for ice hockey, figure skating, speed skating and curling. It is scheduled for completion and operations at the end of 2021.

Shougang Group and Shangri-La Group Signing on Shougang Park Hotel Project Cooperation (left to right: Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group; Wang Shizhong, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group; Ke Yongguo, Deputy Chief of Shijingshan District Government; Guo Huaigang; Director of General Administration, The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games; Zhang Gongyan, Chairman and General Manager of Shougang Group; Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Group; Wang Yue, Deputy Chief of Beijing Culture & Tourism Bureau; Lim Beng Chee, Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Group; Paw Chuen Kee, Executive Vice President – Operations, North China.

Attending the signing ceremony were Zhang Gongyan, Chairman and General Manager of Shougang Group, Hui Kuok, Chairman of Shangri-La Group, Guo Huaigang, Director of General Administration, The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Wang Yue, Deputy Chief of Beijing Culture & Tourism Bureau, and Ke Yongguo Deputy Head of Shijingshan District Government. The hotel management agreement was signed between Liang Jie, Deputy General Manager of Shougang Group and Lim Beng Chee, Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Group.

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Hyatt expanding to include Thompson Hotels, Joie de Vivre, Alila and Destination Hotels

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts is on an expansion spree. Booking Thompson Hotels will be getting guests credit on the World of Hyatt reward account soon.

Thompson Hotels is the first of the program’s new brands. Thompson Hotels explains their brand as a luxury design is an ethos, rather than a rulebook, Thompson is a boutique hotel collection that hand-selects the likes of Gachot Studios, Tara Bernerd, Martin Brudnizki, Studio Gaia, Yabu Pushelberg, and Jim Walrod to give each of our properties an experience tailored to the location.

Altogether four distinctive brands will be added to World of Hyatt over the coming months: participating Thompson Hotels (starting March 28), Joie de Vivre (starting May 15), Alila and Destination Hotels coming soon.

More than 60 hotels will be added to World of Hyatt, across more than 20 new destinations including Zihuatanejo, Mexico; Vail, Colorado among others. The resort collection will expand by 60% and include legendary destinations such as Resort at Squaw Creek in California and Alila Seminyak in BalYou can enjoy 40+ new spas, 20+ new golf courses and 10 new ski destinations.

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IGLTA Foundation adds industry leaders from Google & Airbnb to its Board

March 26, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association Foundation announced today that Dougal Mckenzie, Head of Industry, Travel, at Google, and Maria Cuba, Global Diversity Lead for Airbnb’s Experiences platform have been appointed to its board of directors. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of IGLTA.

Mckenzie, who holds both law and commerce degrees from his native Auckland, helps companies adapt to changes in consumer behavior resulting from tech advancements. Cuba is one of Airbnb’s earliest employees and the founder of their Latino Employee Group “Juntos.” Her role focuses on creating equitable opportunities and representation for all communities.

“We are honored to welcome these two dynamic additions to our Foundation board,” said IGLTAF Board Chair Reginald Charlot. “Dougal Mckenzie, a leader in advancing travel technology, and Maria Cuba, a champion for diversity in the global marketplace, will bring valuable insights to the table as we focus on our mission: education, research and leadership development to create a more welcoming travel landscape worldwide.”

The new appointees begin their tenure at the board meeting prior to IGLTA’s 36th Annual Global Convention in New York City, 24-27 April. (igltaconvention.org) The current IGLTAF board members are: Reginald Charlot, NYC & Company, Chair; Pamela Herr, Aspen Gay Ski Week, Vice Chair; Tanya Churchmuch, MuchPR, Secretary; Don Richardson, Brand USA, Treasurer; Theresa Belpulsi, Destination DC; Selisse Berry, Founder of Out & Equal; Eddie Canaday, Visit Salt Lake; Rika Jean-François, ITB Berlin; Tom Kiely, Visit West Hollywood; Jim McMichael, Las Vegas CVA; Gary Murakami, MGM Resorts International, Immediate Past Chair; Tom Nichols, Arcus Foundation; Scott Seed, Hospitality Brand Marketing Professional; Carmen Strong, Disney Destinations; and John Tanzella, IGLTA.

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ATM: UAE set to welcome 8.92 million visitors from top five source markets by 2023,

February 27, 2019 by forimmediaterelease.net -

Expo 2020 and its legacy, District 2020, are expected to have a positive long-term influence on the growth of inbound arrivals to the UAE from the country’s top five source markets between 2018 and 2023, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May 2019.

Looking at the country’s top three source markets, the number of Indian visitors travelling to the UAE will increase at a CAGR of 7% to 3.01 million in 2023, while arrivals from Saudi Arabia and the UK will witness an increase of 2% and 1% to 1.76 million and 1.28 million respectively over the same period.

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While the UAE’s top source market rankings are expected to remain mostly unchanged post-Expo 2020 – the latest research from Colliers International, in partnership with ATM, reveals the Russian and Chinese source markets will show above average annual growth rates for inbound passenger arrivals.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12% to 1.6 million in 2023, while the number of Chinese tourists visiting the UAE will increase at a CAGR of 8% to 1.27 million over the same period, according to the data.”

Looking to acquire their share of these high-growth markets at ATM 2019, will be the tourism boards from the UAE’s seven emirates with major exhibits from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman and Fujairah as well as over 93 other UAE exhibitors such as Emirates, Emaar Hospitality Group and Dubai Airports Corporation.

Curtis said: “Taking a look at the other key drivers, besides Expo 2020, Russian visitors to the UAE have grown in recent years, due to the introduction of additional and direct airline routes. Russian visitors also now benefit from relaxed UAE visa regulations and rising oil prices are helping to strengthen the Russian rouble, making the UAE more affordable.

“Regarding Chinese visitors, according to some analysts China’s middle-class will swell to 338 million households by 2020, a 13% increase in just five years. Moreover, by 2030 35% of China’s 1.4 billion population will have $10,000 of annual disposable income, up 10% from 2018. Therefore, the growth potential for both markets is significant.”

With 20 million annual visitors expected to visit Dubai by 2020, plus an additional five million between October 2020 and April 2021 – 70% of which will come from outside the UAE – the overall hospitality supply in the emirate is expected to increase by 39% from 59,561 keys in 2017 to 82,994 in 2021 to meet this demand.

Meanwhile, in neighboring emirate, Abu Dhabi, the number of rooms across three, four and five-star properties is forecast to grow 13% from 21,782 in 2017 to 24,565 in 2021.

“Just as Dubai and Abu Dhabi have their own unique set of visitor attractions, we are now seeing the northern emirates carving stronger identities, supported by their respective tourism authorities. And, while Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah are smaller than Dubai and Abu Dhabi in terms of supply, they are evolving quickly,” Curtis said.

Ras Al Khaimah is working on an unprecedented pipeline, which will more than double the number of hotel rooms, from 4,019 in 2017 to 9,078 in 2021, the largest proportionate pipeline in the GCC.

The number of hotel rooms in Sharjah is also expected to more than double between 2017 and 2021, taking the total number of hotel rooms in the emirate to 5,295 by 2021. Meanwhile, Fujairah will add almost 500 keys over the same period taking its total stock to 2,543 rooms.

ATM 2019 had adopted cutting-edge technology and innovation as its main theme and this will be integrated across all show verticals and activities, including focused seminar sessions, featuring dedicated exhibitor participation.

ATM – considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event, showcasing the largest exhibition in the history of the show, with hotels comprising 20% of the floor area.

About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)

Arabian Travel Market is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2018 attracted almost 40,000 industry professionals, with representation from 141 countries over the four days. The 25th edition of ATM showcased over 2,500 exhibiting companies across 12 halls at Dubai World Trade Centre. Arabian Travel Market 2019 will take place in Dubai from Sunday, 28^th April to Wednesday, 1^st May 2019. To find out more, please visit: www.arabiantravelmarket.wtm.com.

About Arabian Travel Week

Arabian Travel Week is an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows including Arabian Travel Market and ILTM Arabia as well as CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa – a new route development forum launching this year and ATM’s first ever consumer event – ATM Holiday Shopper. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector – under one roof over the course of one week – the inaugural Arabian Travel Week will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from Saturday 27^th April – Wednesday 1^st May 2019. For more information visit: arabiantravelweek.com

About CONNECT

CONNECT Route Development Forum delivers a total networking experience, bringing together airports, airlines and aviation suppliers in a format that offers formal one-to-one pre-arranged meetings, engaging industry seminars together with social opportunities to cement relationships with existing clients and engage with new ones. Created and organised by The Airport Agency-France, CONNECT is now in its 16^th year and set to attract over 650 participants in June 2019 at its flagship event taking place in Cagliari, Sardinia. For more information, visit: www.connect-aviation.com

The inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa event will be the first and only networking forum in the Middle East. Ideally located in Dubai to address the booming aviation market of the Middle East, it will bring together the aviation and the tourism industry which are the backbone and catalyst to economic development. For more information, visit: www.connect-aviation.com/2019-meia/

About ATM Holiday Shopper

ATM Holiday Shopper is the brand-new travel event for consumers offering the very best travel and tourism discounts and deals plus the chance to learn about a range of emerging and unexplored destinations and activities from destinations around the world. The inaugural event will take place in Hall 1 of the Dubai World Trade Centre on Saturday, 27^th April 2019 from 12:00 – 20:00. For more information, visit: www.atmholidayshopper.com

About ILTM Arabia

International Luxury Travel Market Arabia is an exclusive event for those looking to attract HNW travellers from the Middle East to their destination. Returning for its third year, ILTM will allow international luxury suppliers and key luxury buyers to connect via one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments and networking opportunities. ILTM will take place on Sunday 28^th April and Monday 29^th April 2019. For more information, visit: www.iltm.com/arabia/

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face to face through data and digital tools at over 500 events a year, in more than 30 countries, attracting more than seven million participants.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether it is global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have over 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.

A Record £3.4 Billion in Travel Industry Deals at WTM London

February 5, 2019 by forimmediaterelease.net -

WTM London 2018, the event where ideas arrive, will generate a record £3.4 billion in travel and tourism industry deals, surpassing the figure of £3.1 billion from WTM London 2017.

The global travel and tourism industry continues to grow with more than £1.4 billion trips predicted to taking place globally in 2019, with the number predicted to rise to £1.8 billion by 2030. Inbound tourism to the UK is approaching 40 million trips annually, while Brits make almost 73 million outbound trips each year.

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WTM London 2018 reflected this growth with an increase in visitors of more than 4% to a record 32,462, with the event seeing a total of almost 89,000 (88,742) visits from 51,409 participants. In total 4,664 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions took part in the event.

Independent research of WTM London’s exhibitors reveals WTM London 2018 will generate a massive £3,353,042,708 in travel industry deals, either through contracts signed at the event or from negotiations with WTM Buyers’ Club members – the buyers with the greatest purchasing responsibility in the travel industry – which will lead to deals signed before WTM London 2019.

The record number of visitors and business conducted demonstrates the success of WTM London 2018’s new Ideas Arrive Here concept, which included the introduction of five regional Inspiration Zones – UK&I and International Hub, Europe, Asia, Americas and Middle East and Africa. These Inspiration Zones led to an increase in content, ideas and inspiration for participants to take back to their business and implement to help fuel the growth of the travel and tourism industry.

This strategy saw a greater number of senior CEOs and tourism ministers take part in the content programme – including easyJet’s CEO Johan Lundgren and UK tourism minister Michael Ellis. Meanwhile, more research was added to the programme – including dedicated regional research sessions – from respected research organisations including Euromonitor International, Mintel, ForwardKeys and Nielsen.

Furthermore, two new launches in Travel Forward and the International Travel & Tourism Awards (ITTAs) grew WTM London’s reach further. Travel Forward – the event to inspire the travel and hospitality industry with the next generation of technology – was a great success with more exhibitors and visitors than its predecessor The Travel Tech Show at WTM. The inaugural ITTAs saw almost 500 audience celebrate excellence within the travel and tourism industry.

WTM London, Senior Director, Simon Press said: “I am delighted with the record amount of business conducted at WTM London 2018. This success firmly positions WTM London as the event where ideas arrive and a must-attend for national and regional tourist boards, global brands, luxury and technology companies.

“The record visitor numbers at WTM London 2018 alongside the £3.4 billion in business generated shows that WTM London – as it approaches its 40^th event in 2019 – and the travel and tourism industry are both in good health.”

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises six leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion of travel industry contracts. http://london.wtm.com/. Next event: 4-6 November 2019 – London.

Travel Forward is a new travel technology event co-located with WTM London 2018 and part of the WTM portfolio of events. The inaugural Travel Forward conference, exhibition and buyer programme will take place on 4–6 November 2019 at ExCeL London, showcasing next-generation technology for travel and hospitality. http://travelforward.wtm.com/.

WTM Latin America attracts about 9,000 senior executives and generates about US$374 million of new business. Taking place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this show attracts a global audience to meet and shape the direction of the travel industry. More than 8,000 unique visitors attend the event to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry news. http://latinamerica.wtm.com/. Next event: 2-4 April 2019 – Sao Paulo.

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. Nearly 5,000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading inbound and outbound travel and tourism market. WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, pre-scheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors. http://africa.wtm.com/.

Next event: 10-12 April 2019 – Cape Town.

CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa is a new route development forum co-located with Arabian Travel Market 2019. The inaugural event – taking place on 30^th April and 1^st May 2019 in Dubai – will include unlimited one-to-one pre-scheduled appointments, a conference programme, panel discussions and airline & industry briefings as well as an exhibition area dedicated to airport and suppliers. For more information, visit: www.connect-aviation.com/2019-meia/

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism events organiser with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organising world-leading travel exhibitions.

Arabian Travel Market launches inaugural consumer event ‘ATM Holiday Shopper’

January 21, 2019 by forimmediaterelease.net -

Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM) showcase in Dubai, which will take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May 2019, has announced that it will host its first consumer day – ATM Holiday Shopper – as part of its line-up of special focus events.

Taking place on Saturday 27^th April – the day before the official opening of ATM – the event will showcase over 30 travel and hospitality exhibitors from both regional and international destinations who will be offering a wide range of attractive travel and tourism discounts and deals for consumers attending the show.

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Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “In direct response to industry feedback and consumer demand, we are proud to introduce a new and exclusive consumer event to ATM 2019. Whether simply looking for a deal on the Eid break or planning a long-haul getaway, ATM Holiday Shopper is designed to offer the very best discounts and deals. Talking to the experts face to face will also allow attendees to learn about a range of emerging and unexplored destinations and activities from destinations around the world.”

Travellers today do not want to be part of the crowd – they crave new destinations to explore which offer unique experiences, personalised to their tastes and expectations, according to research published by Colliers International.

Adding to this, a study by digital payment firm Visa revealed residents in the UAE are among the world’s top spenders when they travel abroad, with an average spend of around US$2,722 (AED10,000) during their last international trip.

The research by Visa on spending for future trips, including the booking stage as well as expenditure at their chosen destination, revealed residents from Saudi Arabia came out on top with a predicted average spend of US$4,800 (AED 17,600) on their next trip. Kuwait also featured in the top spenders, with a projected average spend of US$3,474 (AED 12,760), while travellers from the UAE plan to spend US$3,430 (AED 12,600) – more than the global median which is estimated at US$2,443 (AED 8,975).

“We are increasingly seeing the majority of outbound travel from the GCC countries taking place during summer as travellers actively seek cooler climates. European countries as well as destinations such as Georgia, Serbia, Azerbaijan and Thailand have been cited as some of the most popular destinations for UAE residents,” Curtis said.

“What we are seeing today, is a focus on great deals, however, it is important to note that GCC travellers are unlikely to compromise on the quality of the offering or the activities catering for both children and adults.”

While international travel will be a key focus, ATM Holiday Shopper will also offer a range of discounts and deals from within the UAE and of course the wider GCC region – with a number of hotels, leisure and cultural activities, spas and F&B outlets within Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Northern Emirates as well as Oman and Saudi Arabia scheduled to exhibit.

The event will also feature a number of talks and presentations designed to provide travellers with an in-depth knowledge on a range of travel destinations and tour packages that cover all major attractions within any one country – as well as information on visa compliance and travel insurance.

Attendees can immerse themselves in faraway cultures with VR activations and enjoy a range of family entertainment throughout the day including cultural displays, theme park characters to meet, calligraphy, henna and falconry amongst many other activities.

Curtis, added: “ATM Holiday Shopper is a great addition to ATM 2019 and we look forward to welcoming consumers with a range of attractive discounts and incentives as well as providing a complete overview of some of the world’s leading travel destinations to further whet the appetite!”

ATM 2019 will build on the success of this year’s edition with a host of seminar sessions discussing the ongoing unprecedented digital disruption, and the emergence of innovative technologies that will fundamentally alter the way in which the hospitality industry operates in the region.

ATM Holiday Shopper will take place from noon – 8pm in Hall 1 of Dubai World Trade Centre on 27 April 2019. Tickets are priced at AED 50 per person with free entry for children under the age of 12.

About ATM Holiday Shopper

ATM Holiday Shopper is the brand new travel event for consumers offering the very best travel and tourism discounts and deals plus the chance to learn about a range of emerging and unexplored destinations and activities from destinations around the world. The inaugural event will take place in Hall 1 of the Dubai World Trade Centre on Saturday, 27^th April 2019 from 12:00 – 20:00. For more information visit: www.atmholidayshopper.com

About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)

About Reed Exhibitions

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Chinese visitors to GCC will increase 81% by 2022 says ATM report

December 19, 2018 by forimmediaterelease.net -

The number of Chinese tourists travelling to the GCC is expected to increase 81% from 1.6 million in 2018 to 2.9 million in 2022, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1 May 2019.

The latest research from Colliers International, in partnership with ATM 2019, reveals that the GCC countries currently attract just 1% of China’s total outbound market, however positive trends are expected over the coming years as 400 million Chinese tourists are expected to go abroad in 2030 – up from 154 million in 2018.

Looking at the economic drivers, China’s links with the GCC have strengthened in recent years due to the introduction of additional and direct airline routes; the strong growth of the Chinese economy and Chinese tourists’ increasing disposable income.

Keen to capitalise on this potential, figures from ATM 2018 show 25% of delegates, exhibitors and attendees were interested in doing business with China.

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.

“Last year, the number of Chinese exhibitors participating at ATM almost doubled and this trend looks set to continue as we look ahead to ATM 2019.

“Over the years, sentiment at ATM has reflected the growth in Chinese tourists to the GCC and today we have seen more hotel and travel professionals than ever before eager to capitalise on the significant opportunities presented by the Chinese market.”

The Colliers data shows Saudi Arabia will experience the highest proportionate increase in arrivals from China, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 33% between 2018 and 2022. Both the kingdom and China’s cultural and educational exchanges have been cited as one of the key elements driving this influx.

Looking at the remainder of the GCC, the UAE will follow with a forecasted CAGR of 13%, Oman at 12% and both Bahrain and Kuwait will steadily increase their Chinese visitor arrivals with a growth of 7%.

In the UAE, China is the fifth largest source market behind India, Saudi Arabia, the UK and Oman. Over the last 12 months, the UAE has stepped up its efforts to attract more Chinese visitors with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) recently signing an agreement with Chinese internet giant Tencent to promote the emirate as a preferred destination for Chinese travellers.

Meanwhile, in Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait passport holders from the People’s Republic of China can now receive a thirty-day visa on arrival.

“It is interesting to note that just 7% of the total Chinese population possess a passport, compared to approximately 40% of Americans and 76% of British. The outbound Chinese market therefore represents a vast, untapped pool of affluent and adventurous travellers and the GCC is stepping up its efforts to ensure it remains a destination of choice,” 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 various destinations in China.

Emirates, the leading passenger service provider from the GCC to China, now offers 38 weekly flights between both destinations.

During 2018, China Eastern announced plans to launch three-times weekly direct flights between Shanghai and Dubai – further complementing the airline’s three existing flights between Shanghai and Dubai, which have a stopover in Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province.

ENDS

About Arabian Travel Market (ATM)

About Reed Exhibitions

About Reed Travel Exhibitions