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ALKESH SHARMA / Emirates Business
Increasing availability of Muslim-friendly travel facilities in the UAE, coupled with easy access to travel information about the nation is facilitating Emirates to strengthen its position as one of the most-sought-after destinations in the global Muslim travel market.
Travel industry is expecting a nearly 18 percent increase in the arrival of Muslim tourists to the UAE by mid-2017. It would further gain pace after 2017, in the wake of upcoming Expo 2020. According to reports, total Muslim visitor arrivals globally in 2015 were 117 million and it constituted nearly 10 percent of the entire travel economy.
“Tourism market is going very strong in the UAE. We have seen a good rise in the number of Muslim travellers coming here. Currently we are hosting maximum number of Muslim tourists after Malaysia. Huge number of young population and increasing disposable income are crucial factors contributing to the expansion of Muslim travel market,†Shaun Morkel, Marketing Manager of Dubai-based Dream Travels, told Emirates Business.
“Dubai and Abu Dhabi emirates are currently hosting majority of Muslim travellers and they are closely followed by RAK and Fujairah,†stated Morkel.
Growing popularity of UAE as the favourite destination among Muslim travellers worldwide is supported by the recently released MasterCard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index 2016. The Index, which covers nearly 130 destinations, has declared UAE as the second most popular destination in the global Muslim travel market. UAE has climbed one position up when compared with the 2015 rankings.
“Muslim population is growing rapidly and it is expected to constitute over 25 percent of the globe’s population by 2030. Moreover, the middle class, with good disposable income available for spending on travel, in countries with large Muslim populations is also growing very fast. All these are good signs for the future growth of this market,†pointed out Anuj Behl, who works with a Turkey-based travel company and is heading its operations in the UAE, in an exclusive conversation with Emirates Business during the recently-held ATM in Dubai.
Experts also credit rapid propagation of internet access combined with rising penetration of smart devices in the Muslim majority nations for ensuring a hassle-free travel planning. Besides, increased number of Muslims is active on social media and use it to get details while planning their travel itinerary.
Notably, the market is growing very fast and the arrival of Muslim travellers globally is predicted to reach over 165 million by 2020. Besides UAE and Malaysia, Qatar, Turkey and Indonesia are also the favourite destinations among Muslim travellers.
Currently Asia and Europe are the leading regions that are attracting maximum Muslim tourists. Together they account for over 80 percent of the total global Muslim travel market.
