UAE tops destinations favored

New data released by international travel website Hotels.com shows that UAE-based destinations come out on top as the most popular choices for regional travelers from the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region.

The latest Hotel Price Index (HPI), released on Wednesday, shows that average nightly hotel prices remained unchanged globally from 2015 and also shed light on the travel habits of outbound MENA-based voyagers.

According to this year’s HPI, UAE destinations remained among the most popular choices for regional travelers. Dubai, followed by the country’s capital, Abu Dhabi, took two of the top 10 destinations for travelers from the region, according to the report.

In Saudi Arabia, investment in tourism infrastructure — such the Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport built in Madinah in mid-2015 — saw the two holy Islamic cities of Makkah and Madinah continue to attract the attention of the region.

Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar also enjoyed rounded out the top visited cities in Saudi Arabia by regional travelers. This could signify an increasing interest in the Kingdom, both by leisure and business travelers, the report noted.

“The MENA region has long been a junction point for the world,” explains Michael Korkia, Senior Marketing Manager EMEA for Hotels.com brand, in a released statement. “This has not changed much in modern times according to our findings, with several destinations intersecting trade networks, pilgrimage routes and experiential tourism opportunities. This might explain why MENA travelers are more likely to visit neighboring destinations before jetting further away.”

First launched in 2004, the annual HPI provides hoteliers, financial analysts and investors insight into traveler appetite around the world.

Source: Arab News