Tourism Breaking News
According to the latest Sojern report; there will undoubtedly be a continued increase in demand for inbound travel over the coming weeks as more restrictions have been lifted in UAE, Saudi Arabia, & Egypt. The reopening of recreational activities, summer camps, spas and massage centres, indoor theme parks, and sports facilities; and with a wealth of activities available to locals, residents, and tourists, and the country now being branded as ‘open’ will facilitate more tourists in the coming months.
Saudi Arabia has recently announced Hajj health measures for pilgrims (domestic only), and travel to Abu Dhabi is still restricted, with proof of a negative COVID-19 test required to enter the Emirate. That said, global flight bookings to key MEA markets remain down year-over-year. However, we are beginning to see steady growth for Saudi bookings, and improvement in travel confidence to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.
Commercial flights are set to resume from Kuwait International Airport from 1st August. Over the coming weeks and months, this will likely have a considerable impact on intent and confidence to travel to the country, as well as on outbound travel. It is important to note that although searches are increasing for trips in August, they are still down 39% on searches made at the same time last year.
Locals are taking advantage of hotel facilities, and turning their 2020 trips into staycations. Domestic searches have risen by 32 points when indexed to 12th April – a low point in search and booking levels to the region. Domestic bookings have also grown considerably since this period. Unsurprisingly, international searches for UAE hotels continue to decline, but bookings have risen above the levels experienced in April.
Domestic travel still holds strong in the region, and staycations seem to be a lasting trend for 2020. Looking forward to future departure months, July searches for global travel to Kuwait have uncovered a peak in interest for August departures, which corresponds with the recent announcement that commercial flights are set to resume from Kuwait International Airport on 1st August.
