Easing visa restrictions and flight access has allowed countries in the Gulf to market the region as one destination rather than several states competing with each other, tourism experts have said.
They were speaking on the first day of Arabian Travel Market, which is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre this week.
“We are absolutely seeing a rise in multi-GCC trips, particularly as the region becomes more interconnected through easier flight access, smoother visa processes and a growing number of world-class attractions across borders,” John Bevan, chief executive of dnata Travel Group, told The National.
“Travellers today are no longer just visiting one Gulf country, they're building multi-stop itineraries, combining the futuristic experiences of Dubai with the cultural heritage of Oman and Bahrain, or the mega-projects in Saudi Arabia.”
Greater collaboration is key to sustaining that momentum, he added. This includes initiatives such as the GCC unified tourist visa and GCC grand tours visa scheme, which was expected to be launched early this year but has faced delays. The region would also benefit from co-ordinated marketing campaigns and improved transport links, Mr Bevan said.
“Travel operators also have an important role to play by curating seamless, multi-country packages that highlight the diversity of the region," he said. "By offering travellers easy access to cross-border experiences, we can help unlock the full potential of the Gulf as a connected, multifaceted destination.”
Earlier in the day, Mr Bevan referred to that as the “multi-centre affect”, as part of a panel discussion on the mega and micro-trends reshaping the travel industry in the Middle East.
The more activity happening in one country can benefit another, he said. “It creates a reason [for tourists] to move to another country in the area," he said. "The more that happens here, the more diversity and reasons to come, and that will create longer stays.”
Midscale hotels and guest satisfaction
Carlos Cendra Cruz, a partner at travel and tourism data intelligence company Mabrian, said its insights show the Gulf had “significant strategic opportunities as it develops into a major global tourism destination”.
“Our data insights indicate that continued investment in infrastructure, collaboration across sectors, and particularly neighbouring countries, in planning, specialisation, product development and promotion, will enable the GCC to achieve its tourism goals and generate long-term value and stay attuned to changing traveller preferences and destination development dynamics," he told The National.
One of the biggest challenges to this is cost and accessibility. There is an urgent need for Gulf states to introduce more midscale properties. “To achieve sustained growth, overall satisfaction with accommodation is essential for increasing leisure arrivals and encouraging longer stays," he said.
"This guest satisfaction must extend beyond the luxury segment, particularly in upper midscale and upscale hotels. If the guest experience does not meet international standards, it may discourage travellers from considering GCC destinations as viable long-stay holiday options.”
According to Mabrian's Tourist Product Satisfaction Index, the Gulf average is lower than competing tourist destinations including Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and the Seychelles. “The good news is that all GCC destinations are showing an upward trend in this index, indicating they are on the right path and should continue to build on this progress in the months and years ahead," Mr Cruz said.
Opportunities for business travel
Bleisure travel – the trend of combining business trips with leisure – is also a key driver for Gulf tourism. “Travellers to GCC destinations display a distinct behavioural pattern that sets them apart from other markets: business travellers consistently record longer average stays than leisure visitors,” Mr Cruz said. “This trend, observed over the past two years, suggests that these destinations are successfully capitalising on the bleisure opportunity among international travellers.”
Jack Thomas Taylor, a museum curator in Doha, has seen this in action. The Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University in Qatar this month co-hosted the Gulf’s first International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art, alongside NYU Abu Dhabi. Almost 100 delegates from the global museum industry travelled to Doha for the annual congress, which then took them to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, where they spent time at Art Dubai and the Sharjah Biennale. “Some extended their stay and had a couple more days in the UAE,” said Mr Taylor, who also often travels in the region for work.
“Each country has a competitive advantage; they all have a unique selling point, but they could work together more for people to travel around,” he added. “But we also have to be realistic. If we have this transient, fast-paced travel, they won’t get a true feel of the countries. It’s also expensive for people to travel around here.”
Live tourism and big events
Aleix Rodriguez Brunsoms, director of strategy at Skift Advisory, part of global travel resource Skift, which publishes its annual megatrends report, said live tourism was also driving growth in the region. Traditional sightseeing is being replaced by the idea of “experiential travel”, where people book trips around major events such as music concerts and sports.
“Our own data shows 62 per cent of travellers book their vacation around a specific event,” he said at a panel discussion at ATM. “In Abu Dhabi, during the Coldplay concert, the city was buzzing, hotels and restaurants were full. Live tourism can increase hotel [average daily rate] from 300 to 500 per cent during peak events … and the Middle East is becoming a stage for the world’s biggest moments.”
The challenge is in transitioning the high value of events into long-term visitor loyalty and driving higher brand equity, he added.
Mr Bevan said that was where tourism operators could make the biggest difference. “I think we’ll see a lot more of that – and festivals moving into this part of the world, especially Dubai," he said. "It gives people more reasons to travel back.”
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
More on Palestine-Israeli relations
The%20specs
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Yuki Means Happiness
Alison Jean Lester
John Murray
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
