The number of wealthy families making travel a high-spend priority is on the rise, according to the latest YouGov report.
The top three luxury holiday destinations for MENA residents are UAE (14%), Italy (10%) and Turkey (5%). And it would appear that top-end hotels look set to profit from this trend with over a third of MENA residents usually staying in luxury hotels when traveling for leisure.
With this in mind, the sector will be a major focus of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015 seminar series as the region’s inbou
nd and outbound travel professionals look to capitalise on this niche market opportunity.
“This trend for luxury family travel offers opportunities for tour operators to create tailor-made packages that take into account not only family needs, but also the cultural considerations unique to the MENA region, and this opens up tremendous marketing opportunities,” said Nadege Noblet, exhibition manager, Arabian Travel Market.
“Over half of MENA residents arrange all aspects of family travel themselves, yet 72% of MENA residents would book an all-inclusive luxury package if they were available.
“This is a phenomenon that has not as yet manifested itself in the GCC, apart from the Rixos Bab Al Bahr in Ras Al Khaimah; although it has long been a cost-friendly family option in Egypt’s key coastal destinations,” she added.
The YouGov report also revealed that looking at a region-wide breakdown, around one-quarter of GCC residents (27%) and Levant residents (23%) stay in luxury hotels compared to 17% of North African residents. Meanwhile, in terms of specific countries, one-third of Bahrain residents (34%) usually stay in luxury hotels – the highest percentage in the entire MENA region.
Two ILTM@ATM seminar sessions will look at various aspects of luxury travel: ‘Biting into Gourmet Travel’ and ‘Luxury Family Travel’.
A contingent of 25 luxury exhibitors will also be present on the show floor, taking part in the ILTM @ ATM hosted buyer meetings programme.
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