The length of time that travelers stay in the United Arab Emirates increased using longer layovers and connections between Europe and America with Asian destinations. The figures are partly fueled by the 96-hour visa for any airline traveler in Dubai.
The fastest growing group is now those staying between six to eight nights, according to ForwardKeys which predicts future travel patterns by analyzing 16 million booking transactions a day.
Although short stays – one to three nights – represented 67% of arrivals during the last 12 months, stays longer than three nights grew more quickly.
Details of the ForwardKeys analysis will be presented at the influential 13th Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) in Dubai April 25 to 27, organized by Bench Global Business Events.
Olivier Jager, CEO, ForwardKeys, said: “These findings show significant progress in the UAE’s attractiveness as a destination and further potential advancement for the UAE economy.”
The ForwardKeys data shows that overall bookings for short stays – one to three nights – are currently running ahead of last year for April and May while June is lagging behind because of the quieter Ramadan period. Forward bookings from the UK, France and Indonesia remain strong.
The UK, USA, and Kuwait all contributed to the growth of both short-stay and long-stay travelers to the UAE. Chinese arrivals for long-stays boomed when the free-of-charge, visa-on-arrival was introduced for them in November 2016. The Chinese also flocked to the UAE for their New Year 2017.
Looking ahead, bookings for long stays in Dubai are currently more than 28% ahead of last year, driven by European and US travelers planning Easter and Spring holidays. Russians will also be arriving in increasing numbers, not only for the Easter weekend, but also in late April and early May for Spring holiday, Labour Day and Victory Day. Saudi Arabia also contributes to the Easter booking surge – possibly due to expats living there taking a break in the UAE.
