Preferred
Hotels & Resorts is capitalising on an increase in Gulf residents to
Southeast Asia as global tourism arrivals up 7.9% year-on-year; excellent
airline network connectivity, manageable flight times and destination
affordability major plus points for Middle East travellers looking for summer
holidays
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Thailand, Singapore, Sri
Lanka and Malaysia hold sway as some of the most popular destinations for
Middle East travellers with healthy inbound tourism figures in 2015, and strong
demand in 2016 to date.
“UNWTO
and World Travel & Tourism Council figures put Southeast Asia tourist
arrivals growth ahead of the rest of the world in 2015, up 7.9% year-on-year,
outpacing India and China in 2015,” said Saurabh Rai, Executive Vice President
of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand.
“We
are definitely seeing this reflected in demand for our member hotels in the
region as well as positively impacting traveller spend. Further, MasterCard’s Asia Pacific
Destinations Index 2015 report listed eight Southeast Asian countries in its
top 20 Asia Pacific ranking of most popular destinations in terms of arrival
numbers, which is great news for Preferred Hotels & Resorts as we continue
to expand our regional portfolio,” he added.
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Tourism Authority of
Thailand data recorded over half-a-million visitors from the Middle East last
year, led by tourists from the UAE followed by Oman, with an average stay of
just under 12 days the year previously and daily spend of US$171 versus just
9.8 days and US$148 from other nationalities.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Southeast Asian partner properties
include The Siam, one of Bangkok’s most luxurious five-star hotels, set in
three acres of landscaped greenery on the Chao Phraya River. The hotel offers
guests access its own private boat shuttle, spa, unique Art Deco-inspired décor,
and 24/7 butler service.
Despite subdued tourism
performance over the last couple of years, Malaysia continues to attract
visitors from the Gulf countries, largely due to its halal tourism offering,
making it the preferred Southeast Asian destination for almost 100,000 Saudis
in 2015 according to the Malaysia Ministry of Tourism & Culture, followed
by the UAE with 15,769 visitors.
Popular with high-end travellers to Malaysia, the boutique Bunga
Raya Island Resort & Spa in Kota Kinabalu is home to just 47 timbered
villas fronted by a pristine white sand beach and coral reef for the ultimate
tropical paradise getaway.
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“The Middle East enjoys
excellent air connectivity with key Southeast Asian destinations and although
Europe is always a popular option for summer travel, the cost-value equation
can make it expensive, especially for family travel. Heading eastwards means
that travellers can ‘splurge’ on a luxury hotel stay while enjoying all the
benefits of affordable activities including excursions, shopping and dining, in
some of the region’s most dynamic cities or ultra-relaxing beach resorts,” said
Rai.
Other destinations high on the demand radar include Singapore, a
hub for both business and leisure travel, which saw 3.9% growth from UAE
visitors in 2015, reaching 78,693 arrivals, according to its tourism board.
Just six years old, The Fullerton Bay Hotel is one of Singapore’s
top ranked luxury hotels, and enjoys a prime waterfront location in the city’s
heritage district with panoramic views from every room and award-winning dining
venues.
Closer to home, the Maldives and India retain their leisure appeal
for Middle Eastern travellers, with Saudi and UAE residents topping the
regional arrivals list in 2014, and visitors to India from Oman almost double
that of the UAE in 2015 at 103,740 and 55,818 respectively, as per India’s
Ministry of Tourism data.
Luxury island living is the mantra at Coco Bodu Hithi in the
Maldives. An all-villa property with both beachfront and over-water stilted
options, the resort boasts seven acclaimed restaurants and a full schedule of
activities including diving, snorkeling, seaplane excursions and sunset
cruises.
And rounding out Preferred’s regional portfolio, the Leela Palace
in Udaipur, India is a majestic grande dame standing watch over the stunning
Lake Pichola. With just 80 guestrooms and five suites housed in a bastion of
bygone opulence and grandeur, the multi award-winning hotel features a
900-square-metre spa, lakeside pool and Araveli Mountain views.
