ATM 2010 success proves market upswing
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You’re probably still nursing achy feet and sore throats post-Arabian Travel Market (ATM), but any discomfort you might be feeling physically should surely be offset by the mental relief that the Middle East’s travel and tourism industry is back on a growth curve - albeit one that is less steep, but perhaps more steady and sustained than in previous years.
Firstly, according to Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE), online statistics reveal visitor numbers to this year’s show increases 3%, with the number of GCC delegates attending on the rise, but perhaps more importantly, exhibitors said the quality of buyers was impressive.
Exhibitor-wise, the signs were good - new showings from the likes of Fiji, Nigeria, Monaco, Swaziland, the Ukraine, Nepal, Malta, Libya, Korea and Iraq, plus 18 new stands from Europe, with Turkey and France increasing their space by the most compared to last year.
Also significant was the increased exhibitor presence from the Middle East compared to last year - rising to 960 in 2010, up 15% on last year’s 830.
This increased investment reflected the upbeat mood of the industry and while we did not see some of the mega announcements of the past in terms of new developments, there were plenty of signs that projects - both ongoing and new - were on the boil.
Hotel groups reaffirmed their pipeline plans for the Middle East, although there was also a noticeable onus on expansion in India and South-East Asia too, while the region’s airlines reassured the crowds that their network expansion strategies were alive and kicking and being implemented as planned. Etihad Airways unveiled its new Destination Management Company (DMC) as it continues to support Abu Dhabi’s fast-growing inbound tourism infrastructure, dominated for the airline by the Grand Prix, plus new airport plans for several GCC destinations - including Abu Dhabi, Oman and Jordan - looked to be well underway.
The show proved that the region’s tourism industry is alive and kicking and that confidence is returning, without the bravado of the pre-2009 bubble-ready-to-burst years.
However, there are still pockets of high-growth potential, with Saudi Arabia and Oman leading the way.
Oman intends to double its hotel room capacity over the next five years and hopes that tourism will increase from 2.5% of the country’s overall GDP (in 2009) to 5% in 10 years. The Sultanate is also in talks with other countries in the region to set up special travel deals four tourists who wish to travel to more than one country in the Gulf on a single holiday.
From a KSA perspective, the Kingdom accounts for 23% of the region’s visitors and is fast growing while domestically, religious tourism and the MICE industry are driving growth, reflected by investment infrastructure – from mega-hotels in Mekkah and low-cost carriers to conference venues and self-contained cities.
Overall, the future is bright, with 100 million visitors set to flood MENA by 2014.
We are now entering a period of sensible expansion, with all stakeholders aware of their previous mistakes having learned hard lessons from the global recession.
They are ready to contribute to the region’s tourism future and while still upbeat about the many opportunities, they are taking a more cautious and realistic approach.
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