The United Arab Emirates remains one of the world’s most popular tourists destinations, thanks in no small part to how quickly the region’s travel and tourism sector are to adopt leading worldwide trends.
In 2018, the most visited places were Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with the former welcoming 15.9 million visitors, with around 5 million staying in hotels in the latter. According to research, international tourists who visit the UAE are actually expected to increase to up to 25.5 million in the period between 2017 and 2022, based on a compound annual growth rate of 4.3%. One of the biggest shifts is that travellers are increasingly looking for “transformational journeys” or “purposeful travel.” With the tourism industry in the UAE valued at $36bn, 12-13% of that now comes from wellness tourism.
Young travellers tend to have a greater awareness of the need to make healthy food choices, as well as have environmentally sustainable practices in regard to their consumption. Those seeking luxury leisure tend to dedicate more time towards moments of relaxation and solitude in addition to indulging in healthier activities. Those who offer spaces for relaxing activities such as meditation and yoga should benefit from these trends. The desert and mountain regions of the UAE are also proving to be a hit with those who enjoy nature explorations and adventure trips, which continue to be some of the very popular activities for travellers all around the world.
The experience is important for today’s travellers, and the needs of those looking to create unique memories are being met with luxury hospitality and individual offerings, personalised to them. The UAE’s unique landscape is particularly notable, given that discerning travellers have many options when looking for new experiences in a desert environment. Luxury four-star and five-star hotels in Dubai take up 25% and 34% of the total inventory of the Emirates, respectively.
The list of services sought by those seeking luxury also includes particular hotel rooms or plane seat numbers as well as certain kinds of vehicles that they can rent and specific table settings when going out to dine. The focus on innovation and the high engagement level in the UAE has put the nation’s tourism sector in the best possible position to be able to serve this ever-growing segment.
Disruptive technologies, such as recognition technology, chatbots, internet-connected thermostats, virtual reality and augmented reality, robots, artificial intelligence and lighting controls, are set to be among the main features that will be at the heart of hospitality service in the future. Overall, the UAE’s hospitality sector is on track with the country’s ambition to remain at the top of the worldwide tourism map as the world’s best and most popular destination for travel and leisure.
Anyone from overseas who is interested in checking out the incredible services offered by the hospitality sector in the UAE will need to take out travel insurance before they head off on their journey.
