Tourism Breaking News
The Middle East and Africa (MEA) is starting to see some positive developments with regards to the easing of lockdown restrictions and signs of business and travel gradually reopening as per Sojern’s insights on June 1, 2020. On May 31, Dubai allowed 50 per cent of government staff to return to their offices, which will increase to 100 per cent capacity in offices from June 14. Curfews continue to be shortened, and a second phase of easing restrictions is planned for June 21 which will see the coronavirus curfew end in all areas of Saudi Arabia except for Mecca.
Looking more specifically at the travel market, Saudi Arabia announced that domestic flights have returned, as of May 31, and from July 1 bookings will reopen for flights to 12 Arab countries, including Morocco and Lebanon. Whilst volumes are still lower than 2019 levels, when looking at the months travellers plan on visiting the region, there is a long-awaited, steady incline from August onwards. Search levels for departure dates to Egypt in March 2021 are only 38% below those for March 2020, further highlighting the steady route to recovery.
The relaxation of lockdown measures and the reopening of selected flight routes across MEA has initially been focussed with domestic markets in mind. This is reflected when observing hotel search and booking volumes, with domestic trips showing growth ahead of international travel.
The same story when looking at searches and bookings in relation to distance from the hotel. The majority of the region has experienced an increase in searches and bookings from domestic travellers situated in a 0-160 kilometre radius when we compare May to January, suggesting an increased interest in local travel. Relaxed lockdown measures and the reopening of hotels and flight routes continue to have a positive impact on travel intent and confidence. Domestic travel continues to show the most positive signs of returning first, with August being a popular month for travellers returning to the region.
