Inbound hotel room nights to the Middle East are up 112 percent in 2017 versus last year, according to new booking data from wholesale travel brokerage company Tourico Holidays.
Outbound travel from the Middle East is on the rise as well, Tourico reports, with hotel room nights sold in the region up 138 percent through the end of 2017, meaning that future hotel reservations through the end of the year have more than doubled compared to the same time in 2016.
Travel from China is a driving force in the market’s inbound hotel industry, Tourico reports. The booking data shows a sharp increase in Chinese travel to the Middle East, marked by a 60 percent surge in hotel room nights booked so far in 2017. Additionally, The United States has increased its hotel room nights to the Middle East by 12 percent year-over-year, while Germany (+21% YOY), Canada (+8% YOY), and South America (+9% YOY) have also been key contributors to the growth.
Additionally, hotel cancellation rates are down 45 percent this year, said Ala Andriuta, the product director of the Middle East for Tourico Holidays.
Year-over-year bookings of pre-purchased hotel rooms have increased by more than 150 percent in the Middle East in 2017, as well.
Tourico Holidays is a travel distribution company that contracts directly with travel providers, such as hotels, flights, cruise lines, attractions, car rentals, vacation homes and more. Tourico Holidays works on a high-volume, wholesale model to broker this inventory to over 4,900 clients in 100 countries using proprietary technology.