Chinese, Indian travelers continue to rise in UAE: IHG

IHG currently operates over 280 hotels across five brands in Asia, Middle East and Africa.

The UAE continues to be an increasingly important destination for travelers from both China and India, according to InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s leading global hotel companies.
IHG’s data trends show that, the hotel market in the Emirates can expect to see an increase in inbound business from these two powerful markets throughout the year.
IHG’s data reporting shows that its business from Chinese travelers to the Middle East has jumped by 13.31 percent from 2015 to 2016, followed by an increase of over 24 percent year-over-year (Feb year-to-date). Dubai saw an increase of 3.3 percent from last year while the Dead Sea, Jordan has gone up by 5 percent.
The traffic IHG’s hotels have received from India also points to a growth in the UAE’s room nights, which has gone up by 24 percent year-over-year (Feb. year-to-date). While there has been a drop in room nights in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have continued to grow, with 22 percent and 3 percent jumps respectively.
James Britchford, vice president of sales and marketing, India, Middle East, Africa, IHG said: “We have seen some headwinds in the Middle East in the last year, however the region remains dynamic and fundamental for the hotel industry ... particularly in the UAE. From a mid- and long-term perspective, the major cities of the Middle East will continue to grow as business hubs and tourist destinations. We remain strong in our outlook toward the Middle East in general, while the UAE remains a key market for us.”
On the specific topic of Chinese and Indian travel trends, Britchford said: “Ultimately, China and India represent the largest source of tourism markets in the world. We have seen an increase in MICE travel from China, particularly to the UAE, which has bolstered the need for growth across several of our brands. We are also seeing Chinese travelers engage in more long-haul travel, as well as increased engagement with luxury hospitality. These trends are similar for Indian travelers as well.”
IHG currently operates over 280 hotels across five brands in Asia, Middle East and Africa (AMEA), including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Hotel Indigo with a further 149 in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years.