Middle Eastern Destinations Lead Global Travel Recovery
25.08.2023 - 14:28
/ skift.com
/ Red Sea
/ Willie Walsh
/ Peden Doma Bhutia
The Middle East is leading international travel recovery in the fourth quarter as inbound arrivals to the region witnessed an increase of 4 percent, long ahead of the global average of a decrease of 30 percent, according to travel analytics firm ForwardKeys. “The FIFA World Cup is certainly the key driver for its travel recovery,” said Juan Gomez, head of market intelligence at ForwardKeys. The latest air ticketing data by ForwardKeys also shows that international arrival levels may be back to normal in 2023, with travel to the Middle East up by 15 percent on pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter. Overall, the outlook for 2023 looks promising, despite high inflation in key source markets and the looming recession, FowardKeys noted. The Middle East is also attracting more premium travellers than in 2019, the travel analytics firm noted with Saudi Arabia showing the greatest growth. Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon are also showing growth, with a regional average of 11 percent above 2019.
In line with its national tourism strategy, Saudi Arabia will be developing Sindalah — the first luxury island and yacht club destination in the Red Sea. Spread over an area of 840,000 square meters in its futuristic city NEOM, Sindalah is expected to start welcoming guests from early 2024. The facility is expected to create 3,500 jobs for the tourism sector and hospitality and leisure services. Featuring a prestigious 86-berth marina, Sindalah will offer 413 ultra-premium hotel rooms and 333 top-end serviced apartments. The facility will also feature a luxe beach club, yacht club, 38 culinary offerings and a golf course.
Airlines in the Middle East saw a 114.7 percent rise in passenger traffic in October compared to the same period last year, according to a report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Capacity also increased 55.7 percent during this period compared to October 2021, and load factor climbed 21.8 percentage points to 79.5 percent. The October passenger demand and forward bookings signal continuing recovery in the region. International traffic for the period climbed 102.4 percent versus October 2021. Forward bookings for international travel increased to around 75 percent of pre-pandemic levels, following the re-openings announced by multiple Asian economies. Calling October traditionally a slower autumn travel season in the Northern Hemisphere, Willie Walsh, director general of IATA said the strong demand and forward bookings bodes well for the coming winter season and the ongoing recovery.
Dubai received $29.4 billion in tourism receipts in 2022 topping the list of cities with the highest spending by international visitors, according to a World Travel and Tourism Council (WTCC)