MENA travellers are paying less for hotel stays
Even with major global political shifts and currency fluctuations around the world in 2016, travelers fared pretty well with average nightly hotel prices unchanged globally from 2015, as reported in the latest Hotel Price Index report from Hotels.com.
The report adds that the global Index stayed at AED 418 per night in 2016 for the third year, this did not stop MENA travelers from paying less for hotel rooms at their favorite international cities.
A short getaway
According to this year’s HPI, UAE destinations remained among the most popular choices for regional travelers, with Dubai at the number one spot followed by Abu Dhabi. Growing air connectivity, high-profile events and an almost endless variety of shopping options has likely contributed to the Emirates being a go-to destination.
In 2016, Dubai increased its total number of hotel rooms by 5%.
The Mecca of halal tourism
Investment in tourism infrastructure such as the opening of the new Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz (Medina) International Airport in mid-2015, coupled with a strong growth of halal tourism, saw the two holy Islamic cities of Makkah and Medina continued to attract the attention of this region's travellers. Makkah held its ranking as the third most frequented city by its neighbors and Medina inched closer to the top ten spot.
Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar also enjoyed an improved ranking among the top visited cities by regional travelers. This could signify an increased interest in the Kingdom, both by leisure and business travelers.
World’s historic juncture
Outside of the Gulf, jetting off to neighboring countries like Turkey and Egypt continue to be popular options for outbound MENA travelers.
“The MENA region has long been a junction point for the world,” said Michael Korkia, senior marketing manager EMEA for Hotels.com brand. “This has not changed much in modern times according to our findings, with several destinations intersecting trade networks, pilgrimage routes and experiential tourism opportunities. This might explain why MENA travelers are more likely to visit neighboring destinations before jetting further away.”