UAE Business: Travel intent in Middle East stays strong: report – Gulf Digital News

UAE Business: Travel intent in Middle East stays strong: report – Gulf Digital News

Travel intent in the Middle East across the domestic and overseas market is strong, with business travel tending towards half as popular, said BVA BDRC, an international consumer and business insight consultancy, in a new report.

Baby boomers in the Middle East are leading the region’s domestic leisure market, having made over 12 trips in the past two years, according to the latest Hotel Guest Survey.

The study found that 63% of leisure guests had already booked an overseas stay, or were highly likely to, with 82% of the domestic market also looking at a break Beach and resort destinations were favoured, with comfortable, well equipped rooms driving bookings for travellers.

James Bland, director, BVA BDRC, said: “Demand for travel as we come out of the pandemic is booming and consumers, particularly those with time and money to spend, are looking forward to their beach trips.”

Business travellers are lagging behind in their intentions, although are still more likely to hit the road than many of the regions we cover globally. There has been extensive investment in travel and tourism in the region in recent years and this is now bearing fruit.

The domestic leisure market remained popular during the pandemic, with an average of