Middle East Tourism Arrivals Drop By 6% in 2011
Tourist arrivals in the Middle East are set to drop by 6% in 2011 due to the Arab Spring impact.
Tourist arrivals to the Middle East are predicted to drop by 6% this year due to the impact of the Arab Spring, according to the World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2011. The latter said the region would see a 1.8% decline in incoming tourist receipts, without giving a total value. The report, published in association with Euromonitor International, also said airlines would see a 10.3% drop in US dollar receipts while hotel income would fall by 3.6% compared to the previous year.
… a key factor for Bahrain was to win back its annual Formula One race following its cancellation this year. Bahrain is scheduled to host the fourth round of the championship next April 22.
The report said Tunisia and Egypt had started to reinvent themselves in a new democratic era although tourism revenues are still well down on where they were pre-uprisings. While it rated Egypt and Tunisia as ‘strong’ contenders for a tourism rebound, it said Bahrain was in a ‘weak’ position. However, it added that a key factor for Bahrain was to win back its annual Bahrain Formula One race following its cancellation this year. Bahrain is scheduled to host the fourth round of the championship next April 22.
Finally, the report noted that hotel developments are likely to carry on apace in the Middle East despite the uprisings with a total of 119 hotels set to be built in the Middle East/Africa region this year.
The article above has been published as a part of Bank Audi`s MENA Weekly Monitor of Week 46 (2011). It can be accessed via Internet at the following web address: http://www.banqueaudi.com