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DUBAI / Emirates Business
The UAE continues to be an increasingly important destination for travellers from both China and India, according to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading global hotel companies. IHG’s data trends show that, the hotel market in the Emirates can expect to see an increase in inbound business from these two powerful markets throughout the year.
IHG’s data reporting shows that its business from Chinese travellers to the Middle East has jumped by 13.31% from 2015 to 2016, followed by an increase of over 24% YoY (Feb YTD). Dubai saw an increase of 3.3% points jump from last year while Dead Sea, Jordan has gone up by 5% points. The traffic IHG’s hotels have received from India also points to a growth in the UAE’s room nights, which has gone up by 24% YoY (Feb. YTD).
James Britchford, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, India, Middle East, Africa, IHG said: “We have seen some headwinds in the Middle East in the last year, however the region remains dynamic and fundamentals for the hotel industry here are strong, particularly in the UAE. From a mid- and long-term perspective, the major cities of the Middle East will continue to grow as business hubs and tourist destinations. We remain strong in our outlook towards the Middle East in general, while the UAE remains a key market for us.â€