Mubasher: The number of European visitors to the GCC region is expected to rise 29% in the period between 2018 and 2023, on the back of new and direct flight routes, higher number of millennial and middle-class travellers and attractive air fares.
Travellers from the European Union (EU) to the GCC region will likely increase 1.9 million to 8.3 million in 2023, Arabian Business reported on Sunday, citing data released by Colliers International.
“The UAE and Saudi Arabia are expected to continue to be the preferred GCC destinations for European tourists, welcoming a projected 6.15 million and 1.11 million visitors, respectively by 2023. Oman will follow with 720,000 visitors, while Bahrain will welcome 310,000 and Kuwait 140,000,” Danielle Curtis, exhibition director for the Middle East of Arabian Travel Market, said.
As part of plans to increase demand in the UAE during 2018, the Dubai-based carrier Emirates launched new flights to London Stansted, Edinburgh, Lyon, and Paris; Etihad Airways introduced new routes to Barcelona; flydubai launched flights to Catania, Thessaloniki, Krakow, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, and Helsinki; and Air Arabia added new flights to Prague.
In Saudi Arabia, new flights were introduced to destinations including Vienna and Malaga last year.
In addition, GCC visitors to Europe will likely increase by 50% as 6 million GCC residents are expected to travel to EU countries by 2023.
Saudis are projected to lead this growth with 2.98 million visitors to Europe in 2023, followed by 1.73 million UAE residents, 600,000 Kuwaiti nationals, 340,000 Bahrainis, and 210,000 Omanis.
Saudi Arabia is projected to keep its position as the top outbound travel destination in the GCC region as an additional 1.2 million trips are expected annually by 2023, 70% higher than 2018, supported by “rising spending power of both millennials and females in the kingdom,” Curtis added.
UK, France, Switzerland, and Sweden are forecast to be the top European destinations for GCC travellers, with 890,000 trips from the UK by 2023, data released by Colliers International indicated.
