GULF STATES
Feeling the heat
GULF STATES T
Often unfairly associated with the rumbling discontent in several of the region’s other states, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman can in fact point to healthy and growing tourism sectors, says Colin Ellson
he so-called Arab Spring, which with the seemingly endless confl ict in Syria should perhaps now be
viewed more as a protracted Dark Winter, continues to cast a long shadow over the Middle East, with particularly dire consequences for Egypt’s tourism sector. Elsewhere, calls for democracy, once made with a real hope of likely change, now seem like mere whistles in the wind. All of which creates a perception that the whole region is an out-of-bounds no-go area for overseas visitors. While this might be partially true in the
north of the area, down south, on the tip of the Arabian Peninsula, there has hardly been a whisper of an uprising, with the
Clockwise from top left: The Jebel Sifawy Resort beach; Desert nights camp at Al Wasil: Desert hiking
exception of Bahrain, where still-frequent demonstrations continue to deter tourists. However, agents should stress to clients that the other Gulf States of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman continue to prosper, with observers believing they are immune to the aftershocks of the Arab Spring for a variety of reasons. In general this is due, they say, to a lack
of revolutionary spirit, as these states have no history of totalitarian rule, the people enjoying a somewhat settled and comfortable lifestyle they are not prepared to jeopardise. That safe environments are the key factor in holidays to the region is emphasised by the region’s several tourist boards, who report that demand from the British market has risen signifi cantly. UK visitor numbers to Oman, for example, increased by 15% year on year in 2012,
with Dubai reporting an 11% rise in the fi rst half of this year compared to the same period in 2011.
For the same timescale, Abu Dhabi
recorded a 10% year-on-year jump in hotel guests, and Qatar research reveals Doha’s hotel occupancy rates in June 2013 rose by a staggering 27% year on year. Such progress is underlined by UK
lead-in airfares” NIKKI HAIN, PRODUCT MANAGER PREMIER HOLIDAYS
“Don’t think the best deals to the Gulf are found at the last minute. Encourage clients to book early to take advantage of bigger hotel discounts and
www.sellinglonghaul.com
November 2013 39
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