Middle East is anticipated to receive more than double the number of tourists by 2020 with continuous inflow of investment in the sector.
According to the prediction of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourist arrivals to the Middle East will increase to more than double by 2020 on account of continuous investment in the industry, as reported by
The National.
Tourist arrivals will increase to 136 Million by 2020, up from 54 Million in 2008. The growth rate in the Middle East will be nearly double of the global average.
In addition to this, the domestic tourism of the region is also expected to surge in near future. Global economic crisis, along with the concerns regarding H1N1 flu, is expected to result in the increased number of regional and domestic tourists, as travelers will increasingly opt for the nearby destinations, within the region or even within their own countries.
Moreover, slowdown in the global economy failed to cast any negative impact on the sports tourism markets in the Gulf region. This is a big plus point for the upcoming events like Abu Dhabi’s inaugural Formula One race on November 1, 2009.
Nonetheless, with economic recession playing havoc with the tourism industry worldwide, total tourist arrivals to the Middle East fell 13% during the first seven months of 2009 as compared to the corresponding period in 2008. Earlier, in 2008, the region witnessed 18.2% year-on-year growth.
But now, the pace of decline is expected to lessen in the remaining months of the year, as GCC nations seem to be showing a fair level of resilience to the global economic turmoil.
It is noted that Abu Dhabi is targeting to increase the number of hotel guests to more than double, i.e. 2.3 Million per year, by 2012. Dubai is also aiming to attract 15 Million visitors per year by 2015, which is nearly double the last year’s figure.
According to a Research Analyst at
RNCOS, “Considering the present situation of the tourism market in the Middle East, it can be said that there are strong prospects for the revival of the industry in coming years. Having declined in the beginning of the year, the number of visitors made a good recovery in the mid-2009, largely due to continued investment in the tourism industry. Therefore, it is clear that the sector will soon overcome the effects of economic crisis.”
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