YEARS
review arabian travel market
Super-fast link for Dubai’s airports T
ravelling between Dubai’s airports could become quicker than transiting between
terminals if a proposed Hyperloop is constructed.
A session at Arabian Travel Market in Dubai discussed proposals for a high-speed transport system that can reach speeds of 750mph and link Al Maktoum International airport with Dubai International Airport in six to seven minutes. The journey time would be around 34 minutes faster than the road trip and even quicker than moving between terminals at Dubai International. The proposed Virgin Hyperloop One is being evaluated by Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority. If it is built, it will link Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes, cutting the travelling time between the two emirates by 78 minutes. Hyperloop One would carry approximately 3,400 people an hour or 24 million a year.
Hyperloops use electromagnetic propulsion to accelerate levitating
Hotels take the lion’s share at 25th ATM
2,500 H
exhibiting companies
150 represented countries 7%
international visitors
more 100+
fi rst-time exhibitors
otels made up the biggest proportion of exhibitors at this year’s Arabian Travel Market, which marked its 25th year. Regional and global hotel brands took up 20% of the total show area, making it the largest showcase of the sector in ATM’s history. This year’s event attracted more than 2,500 exhibiting companies and over 150 countries. More than 100 exhibitors made their ATM debut and there was an 11% increase in visitors from the African continent. Simon Press, ATM senior exhibition
director, said the tourism industry in Arabia had grown “ten-fold” since the fi rst ATM. He added: “Arabian Travel Market continues to be the preferred route to market for many international and regional hospitality brands and the increase in hotel exhibition space in 2018 refl ects the hundreds of new property and brand launches we have seen during the past 12 months.”
14 wtm insights summer 2018
pods through a vacuum tube. Harj Dhaliwal, Virgin Hyperloop One’s managing director Middle East and India fi eld operations, said: “Providing a hyperloop connection that allows both UAE residents and tourists to travel between Dubai and
Hyperloop will be faster than moving between terminals
Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes is just the beginning.
“In the future, other emirates and indeed other GCC countries could also be linked, with journeys
EVENT REVIEW
between Dubai and Fujairah as low as 10 minutes and Dubai to Riyadh in 40 minutes.” Airport chiefs see the
development of Hyperloop One as integral to the
effi cient operation of Dubai’s two airports.
Michael Ibbitson, Dubai Airports’ executive vice president infrastructure and technology, told ATM: “Looking to the future, having both Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) as key stations on the hyperloop system is essential. “At present, Emirates only operates
from Dubai International Airport but the implementation of a hyperloop system between both airports could allow the airline to eff ectively and effi ciently work from both hubs.”
UAE leads in home-sharing
he United Arab Emirates has been much quicker to switch on to home-sharing as a form of accommodation than its Middle Eastern neighbours. In a session delivered at ATM by travel industry research specialist Phocuswright, it was revealed that of 10,000 Airbnb listings in the Middle East, 44% are in the UAE and 20% in Egypt while Saudi Arabia and Lebanon each make up only 2% of listings.
T Rival home-sharing platform
FlipKey was reported to have 1,500 listings in the Middle East, 51% of which were in the UAE, while HomeAway had 1,000 listings, with 63% being UAE-based. “Home-sharing in the Middle East is developing mainly in the UAE, with Dubai signing an MOU in May 2016 and Ras Al Khaimah in January 2018, in order to support the growth of this type
of accommodation,” said Cristina Polo, Phocuswright’s Middle East market specialist. “In Dubai, in views of Expo 2020, it is a great opportunity to diversify the lodging off ering.” However, home-sharing still
remains relatively marginal in the Middle East, she pointed out. “GCC residents and nationals do make the choice to rent villas and apartments when travelling to Europe or Asia, but few are ready to be a host.” Phocuswright reported that
offl ine channels continue to represent more than two-thirds of the market in the Middle East, as personal relationships and mistrust of online payment methods still infl uence booking decisions. However, digital is playing an
increasing role as the younger, tech-savvy population embraces online and mobile transactions.
wtm.com
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