Batuta.com 20 most popular destinations for hotels reservations among Arab travelers in 2016
(PRWEB) December 15, 2016 -- Whether Travelers are planning a visit to Dubai to go shopping, to relax on the beaches of luxurious resorts, or to enjoy round-the-clock entertainment, they will find the city vivid with Arab tourists.
Compared to last year's data, Batuta tourism website rated the city of Dubai as the most visited destination of Arab travelers who visited the website in 2016, based on a thorough review of the rates of hotel reservations and the use of the tourist guide on Batuta website.
Arab tourism in Dubai, versus other touristic destinations, is characterized by large-scale hotel reservations for families interested in the various activities the city has to offer, especially shopping and children’s activities. The city is also a destination for many Arab businesspeople, who usually stay for a short period and reserve hotels that are close to convention centers and the city’s free trade zone, unlike recreational tourism that is concentrated in the Marina district and Sheikh Zayed Road. 23% of the business-related reservations in the first half of 2016 were by Arab tourists.
Istanbul’s rating in second place comes as no surprise. The city still maintains its position among Arab travelers, despite the slight decline in attracting tourists from around the world. Batuta website attributes this to the special place that Istanbul holds in the heart of the Arab tourist, the semi-oriental flavor of the food, the festive atmosphere of the city’s streets in the summer and its lovely weather. The architecture in Istanbul, which features a unique Islamic style, and the city’s ancient historical landmarks, have for many years guaranteed Istanbul a place among the top tourist destinations for the Arab traveler. However, according to Batuta Travel website, Istanbul was a less popular destination in the summer of 2016, compared to the summer of 2015.
This year has witnessed increased interest in 4 and 5 star hotels in Istanbul and a decline in the reservation of hotel apartments. The preferred area in 2016 has been the Sultan Ahmed district rather than Taksim Square, which according to Batuta data was more popular in 2015.
In third place is Mecca. Religious tourism in Mecca is well-organized and stable all year round for the Umrah pilgrimage and increases during the Hajj pilgrimage. Mecca suffers a shortage of accommodation and the price for a room is significantly higher during the month of Ramadan and the Hajj. Batuta website recommends early and long-term reservations to avoid difficulties.
The greatest surprise for 2016: the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh has held fourth place, thus surpassing the classic cities of Paris in fifth place and London in sixth place.
It seems that efforts invested by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism to revive the tourism in the Red Sea and Southern Sinai region have been fruitful. After being abandoned by the European tourist, Sharm El Sheikh reappeared on the tourist map due to the attractive prices of its hotels, internal Egyptian tourism and supportive tourism from Saudi Arabia. Some Arab tourists have expressed discontent regarding the level of service provided by Sharm El-Sheikh hotels, especially 4-star hotels. This is remarkable when the evaluations of Arab tourists are compared with those provided by European tourists. The various Egyptian governmental bodies should handle this issue as soon as possible, as the return of the European tourist is not expected in the near future.
The city of Abu Dhabi is in seventh place. It has primarily been a destination for Arab businesspeople, although last summer the city witnessed an increase in family tourism, thanks to recent efforts invested by the relevant governmental bodies and the examination of the (excellent) level of hotel service. This governmental interest has been accompanied by the organization of annual recreational activities to attract Arab visitors of all age groups. Moreover, the coincidence of the summer vacation with the religious holidays has enhanced these efforts.
In eighth place is Frankfurt, and the interest of the Arab tourist in Germany has always been out of question. There has been a remarkable preference of Germany and Eastern Europe countries, versus a decreased interest in France and its neighboring cities like Brussels and Amsterdam. This preference is greatly due to the central position which Frankfurt Airport occupies. The city is also deemed a point of departure towards different German regions, especially the Bavarian cities in the South.
The 2016 Gulf Capital of Tourism, the city of Manama in Bahrain, holds ninth place. It attracts youth, and others who prefer it to Dubai due to its reasonable prices, moderate hot weather and pleasant atmosphere.
The tenth place is surprisingly held by the Indian city of Bangalore, which mainly attracts businesspeople, despite the remarkable increase in the number of Arab tourists who visit the city for recreation and entertainment. It is the point of departure of Arab visitors towards tourist adventures in South India, especially Kerala with its tropical beaches and wonderful mountains. The enhanced Arab tourism in India is also due to the various Arab airlines operating in India, especially flydubai, which has made it easier for Arab tourists to travel to different destinations in India and Southeast Asia for attractive prices and within a short time.
Places eleven to twenty are held by the following touristic destinations: Doha-Qatar is in eleventh place, followed by Hurghada-Egypt, Barcelona-Spain, Jeddah-Saudi Arabia, Jakarta- Indonesia, Amman-Jordan, New York- USA and Milan-Italy, holding twentieth place.
In this regard, it was reported on Batuta Travel website that “these statistics have been conducted and published on an annual basis over the past three years. Succeeding to predict a number of trends in the field of Arab tourism and hotel reservations. This positions the company as a forerunner in the development of medium-term marketing strategies, not yet adopted by similar companies”.
“This list success is due to a thorough examination of thousands of reservations and infinite browsing of the touristic guides available on Batuta website, as well as observing the general movement in this field globally. Remarkably, the Arab tourist prefers local destinations within the Arab world. More than 50% of the destinations in this list are Arab. Enhanced tourism is taking place more and more between Arab countries, if one takes into account the number of nights reserved, the features of the preferred hotels, the quality of the service they provide, their location and the evaluation of the tourists regarding their stay in these hotels”.
Muhammad Jabali, Batuta Travel&Hotels Booking, https://www.batuta.com/#, +972 545332912, [email protected]
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