Gulf states look to collaboration over rivalry to boost visitor numbers

Trips encompassing more than one country are vital for growth in the sector, industry figures say at Dubai event

Reflecting on the Visit Sharjah pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market, at Dubai World Trade Centre. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Etihad Airways announced the launch of its Airbus A321LR aircraft at the Arabian Travel Market

Visitors at the Ras Al Khaimah stand at the travel and tourism event

The Welcome to Saudia Arabia stand

Artist Huda Al Rais works on a sculpture of Al Manama at the Ajman stand

The Visit Qatar stand at the Dubai show

Dolls of Emirates cabin crew on display at Arabian Travel market, which was first held in 1994

Ahmed from the Visit Bahrain pavilion opens oysters to find pearls, at the Arabian Travel Market. The show runs until May 1, 2025.

Easing visa restrictions and flight access has allowed countries in the Gulf to market the region as one destination rather than several states competing with each other, tourism experts have said.

They were speaking on the first day of Arabian Travel Market, which is taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre this week.

“We are absolutely seeing a rise in multi-GCC trips, particularly as the region becomes more interconnected through easier flight access, smoother visa processes and a growing number of world-class attractions across borders,” John Bevan, chief executive of dnata Travel Group, told The National.

“Travellers today are no longer just visiting one Gulf country, they're building multi-stop itineraries, combining the futuristic experiences of Dubai with the cultural heritage of Oman and Bahrain, or the mega-projects in Saudi Arabia.”

Greater collaboration is key to sustaining that momentum, he added. This includes initiatives such as the GCC unified tourist visa and GCC grand tours visa scheme, which was expected to be launched early this year but has faced delays. The region would also benefit from co-ordinated marketing campaigns and improved transport links, Mr Bevan said.

Experts say tourists are visiting various parts of the Gulf during trips. Chris Whiteoak / The National

“Travel operators also have an important role to play by curating seamless, multi-country packages that highlight the diversity of the region," he said. "By offering travellers easy access to cross-border experiences, we can help unlock the full potential of the Gulf as a connected, multifaceted destination.”

Earlier in the day, Mr Bevan referred to that as the “multi-centre affect”, as part of a panel discussion on the mega and micro-trends reshaping the travel industry in the Middle East.

The more activity happening in one country can benefit another, he said. “It creates a reason [for tourists] to move to another country in the area," he said. "The more that happens here, the more diversity and reasons to come, and that will create longer stays.”

Midscale hotels and guest satisfaction

Carlos Cendra Cruz, a partner at travel and tourism data intelligence company Mabrian, said its insights show the Gulf had “significant strategic opportunities as it develops into a major global tourism destination”.

“Our data insights indicate that continued investment in infrastructure, collaboration across sectors, and particularly neighbouring countries, in planning, specialisation, product development and promotion, will enable the GCC to achieve its tourism goals and generate long-term value and stay attuned to changing traveller preferences and destination development dynamics," he told The National.

One of the biggest challenges to this is cost and accessibility. There is an urgent need for Gulf states to introduce more midscale properties. “To achieve sustained growth, overall satisfaction with accommodation is essential for increasing leisure arrivals and encouraging longer stays," he said.

"This guest satisfaction must extend beyond the luxury segment, particularly in upper midscale and upscale hotels. If the guest experience does not meet international standards, it may discourage travellers from considering GCC destinations as viable long-stay holiday options.”

According to Mabrian's Tourist Product Satisfaction Index, the Gulf average is lower than competing tourist destinations including Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and the Seychelles. “The good news is that all GCC destinations are showing an upward trend in this index, indicating they are on the right path and should continue to build on this progress in the months and years ahead," Mr Cruz said.

Opportunities for business travel

Bleisure travel – the trend of combining business trips with leisure – is also a key driver for Gulf tourism. “Travellers to GCC destinations display a distinct behavioural pattern that sets them apart from other markets: business travellers consistently record longer average stays than leisure visitors,” Mr Cruz said. “This trend, observed over the past two years, suggests that these destinations are successfully capitalising on the bleisure opportunity among international travellers.”

Jack Thomas Taylor, a museum curator in Doha, has seen this in action. The Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University in Qatar this month co-hosted the Gulf’s first International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art, alongside NYU Abu Dhabi. Almost 100 delegates from the global museum industry travelled to Doha for the annual congress, which then took them to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, where they spent time at Art Dubai and the Sharjah Biennale. “Some extended their stay and had a couple more days in the UAE,” said Mr Taylor, who also often travels in the region for work.

Coldplay's Abu Dhabi concert was held up as an example of how live events can boost tourism across the region. Pawan Singh / The National

“Each country has a competitive advantage; they all have a unique selling point, but they could work together more for people to travel around,” he added. “But we also have to be realistic. If we have this transient, fast-paced travel, they won’t get a true feel of the countries. It’s also expensive for people to travel around here.”

Live tourism and big events

Aleix Rodriguez Brunsoms, director of strategy at Skift Advisory, part of global travel resource Skift, which publishes its annual megatrends report, said live tourism was also driving growth in the region. Traditional sightseeing is being replaced by the idea of “experiential travel”, where people book trips around major events such as music concerts and sports.

“Our own data shows 62 per cent of travellers book their vacation around a specific event,” he said at a panel discussion at ATM. “In Abu Dhabi, during the Coldplay concert, the city was buzzing, hotels and restaurants were full. Live tourism can increase hotel [average daily rate] from 300 to 500 per cent during peak events … and the Middle East is becoming a stage for the world’s biggest moments.”

The challenge is in transitioning the high value of events into long-term visitor loyalty and driving higher brand equity, he added.

Mr Bevan said that was where tourism operators could make the biggest difference. “I think we’ll see a lot more of that – and festivals moving into this part of the world, especially Dubai," he said. "It gives people more reasons to travel back.”