FOCUS
ON TAIWAN Business & Tourism Guide to Taiwan was released in the Middle East markets on the eve of the Arabian Travel Market and the commencement of direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Taipei by China Airlines... Full Story...
In the aftermath of September 11 attacks,the Middle East outbound tourist traffic has undergone a complete restructuring. Many countries have been quick to seize the opportunity by wooing the high-spending Arab tourists...
By Naved Hasan in Dubai
Many Asian and African countries have been wooing the high spending tourists from the Middle East in the aftermath of September 11 attacks which saw a radical restructuring of the outbound tourist traffic from the Middle East. The opportunity to attract high-spending Arab travellers has prompted many countries to launch extensive promotional campaigns in the GCC countries - which spend more than US$ 12 billion on annual international vacations.
Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest outbound markets in the Middle East region and tourists from the Kingdom spend approximately US$6.7 billion annually on overseas holidays. On the other hand, travellers from the United Arab Emirates alone spend around US$5 million on overseas travel, with an average spend of US$1,700 per trip. This figure is US$500 higher than what an average European traveller spends per trip!
Business & Tourism Guide to Malaysia being desitributed at a special trade show held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. MATRADE, the trade promotion body of the Government of Malaysia is one of the key supporters of the BUSINESS & Tourism Guide to Malaysia
Seeing an opportunity in the fast changing global tourist trends, many Asian countries have launched aggressive promotional campaigns in the Middle East countries
to lure the high spending travellers from the region. Results have been excellent too – figures show that Middle Eastern holidaymakers are now travelling in increasing numbers to to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Jero Wacik, Indonesia's Minister for Culture and Tourism, noted that 44,000 people from the Middle East visited the country in 2005. "We are hoping this number would increase to 100,000 by 2007 and 500,000 in five years, he said. "There are still many people in the Middle East who don't know about Indonesia – what is there, what it is like and how to get there," he said. It is precisely for this reason that the Business & Tourism Guide Series was launched – to introduce and promote new holiday and business destinations among the Middle East audiences.
"We are hoping to further strengthen our ties with the Middle East countries in the coming years," said I. Gede Ardika, former Minister for Culture and Tourism of Indonesia. "In this context, the publication of specialised magazines such as the Business & Tourism Guide to Indonesia provide vital information to boost bi-lateral ties between Indonesia and the Middle East. I congratulate the publishers of this magazine on their initiative and wish them success in their future endeavours," he said.
The Business & Tourism Guide to Indonesia is published with the support of NAFED, the government body in-charge of promoting Indonesia's business interests abraod, and the Minsitry of Culture and Tourism. The special publication has played an important role in promoting Indonesia's tourist and commercial interests in the Middle East region. Published in Arabic and English, the Business & Tourism Guide series has been successful in attracting visitors from the Middle East region to Indonesia in ever increasing numbers.
The Business & Tourism Guide Series has also played a vital role in highlighting Thailand as an attractive tourist destination for travellers from the Middle east region. Supported by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Department of Export Promotion (DEP) and Thai Airways, the Business & Tourism Guide to Thailand has acted as a calalyst in improving trade and tourism between the Middle East and Thailand. After the publication of the Business & Tourism Guide to Thailand there has been a huge increase (130 per cent) in the number of visitors from the Gulf countries. Over 4,000 nationals of the United Arab Emirates had visited Thailand in 2005, compared to 9,500 in the first three months of 2006.
The publication has a dedicated section on Thailand's health tourism sector to introduce Thailand's excellent private hospitals to the Middle East audiences. As a result, record number of visitors from the Middle East region now throng Thailand's private hospitals each year to get medical treatment. Shaikh Ruhmatullah, Middle East representative for the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said Chiang Mai, Pattaya and the islands are fast emerging as the most favoured destinations among Middle East travellers.
Malaysia's Minister of Health Dato' Chua Jui Meng presents the Business & Tourism Guide to Malaysia during a press conference at the Inter-Continental Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
On the other hand, Malaysia's figures are equally impressive. The publication of the Business & Tourism Guide to Malaysia has been a major contributor to this growth. Published with the co-operation and support of the Embassy of Malaysia in UAE, MATRADE, Malaysia Airlines and Tourism Malaysia, the Business & Tourism Guide too Malaysia is the only publication of its kind in the region. After the publication was launched in the GCC countries, there has been a steady frowth of Middle East visitors to Malaysia. Last year the country received 147,646 visitors from the Middle East, of which approximately 30,000 were from the United Arab Emirates In January 2006, 1,700 UAE nationals visited Malaysia, a 136 per cent increase on January last year.
"The Middle East is one of our most important areas of tourism because their spending power is much higher than other areas," said Dato Kamaruddin Siaraf, Director General of the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. He said Middle East visitors spend on average up to 5,000 ringgit per capita during their stay.
"As the only official publication introducing Malaysian companines to the Middle East audience, Business & Tourism Guide to Malaysia has played an intrumental role in highlighting Malaysia both as an attractive tourist destination as well as a source for amnufactured goods in the Middle East," wrote H.E. Dato' Syed Hussein Al Habshee, Malaysia's ambassaddor to the United Arab Emirates.
"This publication has also played an important role in promoting Malaysia's health tourism sector as well as opportunities of higher education available in many universities and colleges in Malaysia. This publication has served as an excellent medium in promoting direct contacts between Malaysian manufacturers and Middle East companies. It has also served as a readt reference guide for business and leisure visitors to Malaysia from the Middle East. I fully endorse the excellent work done by the publishers," he wrote.
More and more countries are now joing the bandwagon. At this year’s Arabian Travel Market there were 43 national and tourism boards exhibiting, an indication of the Middle East’s massive outbound travel potential. Germany, Turkey, Cyprus, Singapore, Malaysia and Morocco have all set up shop in Dubai and others may follow soon.
The German Tourist Board, (GTB) which launched its direct UAE presence early this year, says that 2005 overnight stays from the GCC to Germany up to May saw an increase of more than 15 per cent. “The GCC is a strategic growth market for German tourism and we expect a further increase to follow on a trend which has continued for the last five years,” said Heike Murad, Manager GCC, GTB.
However,
London remains the Middle East travellers’ favourite European destination, with 85 per cent of regional visitors to Britain choosing England’s capital. According to Carol Maddison, Regional Marketing Manager, VisitBritain, Middle East visitors spend an average of US$ 1,098 per visit, three times more than the world average. “In 2004 we received 414,000 visitors from the Middle East, representing an 11 per cent increase on 2003, with a combined spend of over a billion dollars, up 8 per cent from the previous year. To handle anticipated growth, VisitBritain recently expanded its GCC operations with the launch of a contact centre in Dubai, to handle enquiries on tourism, culture and education issues.
Meanwhile, the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is investing in the region to tap into the growing potential, with the launch of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO), Dubai office. “We expect a total of 25,000 Middle East visitors this year,” said Vassilis Theocharides, Director, CTO, GCC.
And the Hong Kong Tourism Board says that tourist arrivals from the GCC recorded an increase of 41.7 per cent this year, making the Middle East the city’s fastest growing tourism market. “The Middle East’s growing potential as a key feeder market for some of the world’s most popular destinations is reflected in the projected growth of next year’s Arabian Travel Market, which will be partly driven by increased participation from national tourism organisations,” said a speksperson for the Arabian Travel Market. “The increased budgets allocated for next year’s event are a clear indication that global tourism destinations have earmarked the Middle East as one of the world’s most important outbound markets.”
MIDDLE EAST 
Bali gains popularity with tourists from the Middle East region. Jakarta offers a perfect family holiday for Arab tourists... 
