Market and Trade Profile: GCC€¦ · visiting friends and relatives (VFR). However, the importance of VFR is skewed towards the high proportion of UK expats’ visits. • Over 40%

Market and Trade Profile GCC

Market and

Trade Profile: GCC

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,

Saudi Arabia and UAE


• This market profile provides statistics about the visitors from the Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC), that is to say people of all nationalities residing in the six

countries forming the GCC: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and

the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• Chapter 1: Inbound market statistics provides insights on key statistics about

GCC travellers and who they are. It takes a look at Britain and its competitive set

as well as activities of Gulf visitors in the UK.

• Chapter 2: Understanding the market takes a close look at Gulf consumer

trends, booking, planning and further travel behaviour of this source market.

Perceptions of Britain held by the Gulf residents are also highlighted.

• Chapter 3: Access and travel trade shows how the Gulf residents travel to the

UK, how to best cater for their needs and wants during their stay and gives

insights into the Gulf travel trade. Further ways of working with VisitBritain and

other useful research resources are pointed out.

2

Overview


Contents

Chapter 1:

Market statistics

1.1 Key statistics 6

1.2 Visitor demographics 18

1.3 Britain & competitors 23

1.4 Inbound activities 26

Chapter 2:

Understanding the Market

2.1 Structural drivers 33

2.2 Consumer trends 38

2.3 Booking and planning 43

2.4 Reaching the consumer 46

2.5 Perceptions of Britain 52

Chapter 3:

Access and Travel Trade

3.1 Access 57

3.2 Travel trade 61

3.3 Caring for the consumer 68

3.4 Working with VisitBritain 74

3.5 Useful resources 75

Appendix

Individual inbound market overviews 77

3


Inbound market

statistics

Chapter 1:

4


Chapter summary• The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprises six

countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Despite some differences, there are many similarities in their economies, culture and travel trends.

• In 2016, visits to other GCC countries accounted for over two thirds of the overall outbound visits from each of those six markets put together. However, the UK is the most visited destination of each GCC market in Western Europe.

• Added together, the GCC would be the 3rd most valuable inbound market to the UK, with very high average spend per visit.

• Over 40% of GCC visits happen in the summer months and almost half are from UAE visitors. There is a high proportion of UK expats living in the GCC coming back home. GCC nationals tend to come more for holidays, with London being their favourite destination by far.

• Main activities undertaken in the UK include dining in restaurants, shopping and visiting parks or gardens.

5

Chapter 1: Inbound market statistics

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, Oxford Economics (outbound overnight trips)

2016:£1.4bn

spent in the UK


Key insights• The GCC outbound markets are among the most valuable,

with nationals being very high spenders when they travel abroad. The UK is their favourite destination in Europe.

• Considering all GCC countries together, the Gulf market would be Britain’s 15th largest source market in terms of visits and 3rd most valuable for visitor spending in 2016*.

• Almost half of visits from the GCC are made by UAE residents (47% in 2016). However, there is a high proportion of visits made by UK expats: they accounted for 46% of all visits from the UAE in 2016, compared to 17% Emirati nationals. For Qatar, GCC nationals also comprise a minority of visits to the UK.

• Almost half of visits are made for holidays, followed by visiting friends and relatives (VFR). However, the importance of VFR is skewed towards the high proportion of UK expats’ visits.

• Over 40% of GCC visits happen during the summer and London is by far their main destination in the UK.

6

Chapter 1.1: Key statistics

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, Oxford Economics (outbound overnight trips)

*If considered as a single market

3rd

most valuable inbound market

for the UK (2016)*


1.1 Key statistics: global context

7

Source: UNWTO, Oxford Economics

*Note: Spending data for Bahrain and Oman comes from Oxford Economics as these markets are not in the UNWTO top 50 outbound tourism spending markets

Measure Bahrain* Kuwait Oman* Qatar Saudi Arabia UAE

International tourism

expenditure (US$bn)0.6 12.3 1.5 9.1 18.7 17.1

Global rank for

international tourism

expenditure

>50 25 >50 31 15 18

Number of outbound

overnight visits (m)1.77 4.00 1.88 1.39 9.30 3.16

Most visited destination

overallSaudi Arabia Saudi Arabia UAE Saudi Arabia UAE Saudi Arabia

Most visited destination

in Western Europe

United

Kingdom

United

Kingdom

United

Kingdom

United

Kingdom

United

Kingdom

United

Kingdom

Global context (2016)


1.1 Key statistics: 10 year trend

8

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS

Inbound travel to Britain overview

Measure Visits

(000s)

Nights

(000s)

Spend

(£m)

10 year trend

2007 408 5,687 620

2008 454 6,282 744

2009 494 7,353 856

2010 440 6,136 771

2011 499 7,013 881

2012 530 6,419 1,173

2013 684 10,398 1,833

2014 615 8,510 1,458

2015 724 10,672 1,591

2016 777 9,521 1,431

Share of UK total in 2016 2.1% 3.4% 6.3%


1.1 Key statistics: latest figures

9


*If considered as a single market (as standard, inbound rankings do not consider GCC a single market)

Inbound travel to Britain overview

Measure GCC Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi

Arabia

UAE

Visits (000s, 2016)• Rank out of UK top markets

777• 15*

31• 66

112• 44

36• 64

82• 50

152• 39

365• 21

Nights (000s, 2016)• Rank out of UK top markets

9,521• 11*

419• 65

1,431• 41

514• 59

1,141• 45

2,464• 25

3,551• 17

Spend (£m, 2016)• Rank out of UK top markets

1,431• 3*

72• 49

222• 23

48• 57

163• 33

360• 18

566• 11

Nights per visit (2014-2016)

• Overall• Holiday

• 14• 12

• 15• 16

• 17• 13

• 18• 10

• 13• 10

• 17• 12

• 11• 11

Spend per night (2014-2016)


• 156• 211

• 138• 178

• 178• 217

• 84• 147

• 157• 257

• 172• 235

• 146• 178

Spend per visit (2014-2016)


• 2,118• 2,529

• 2,046• 2,816

• 3,031• 2,840

• 1,511• 1,460

• 2,104• 2,634

• 2,886• 2,939

• 1,533• 1,996


1.1 Key statistics: journey purpose

10

Journey purpose 2016

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS; repeat / first time visitors question asked in 2015

• Holiday visits and visits to friends and relatives (VFR)

account for 80% of all visits from the GCC to the UK in 2016.

• Those two types of visits largely account for most of the

increase in visitors from the Gulf to the UK since the 2000s,

as business visits, studying trips and visits for miscellaneous

purposes remained about stable in the last years.

• In terms of value, over 50% of inbound Gulf spending in the

UK came from holiday visitors in 2016.

• While both business and holiday visitors from the Gulf spent

more on average per visit and per night in 2016 than those

visiting friends or relatives, the latter stayed longer.

Journey purpose trend (visits 000s)

• Looking at the individual Gulf markets, holiday is the most

common journey purpose to visit the UK except in Oman and

UAE where the main reason is to visit friends and relatives, with

almost one-in-two visits from those two markets to the UK made

for that reason. In all markets there are only a few visits to the

UK for studying purposes.

• 82% of staying holidaymakers from the Gulf (excl. UK

nationals) in 2015 were repeat visitors, with 3.5 visits to the UK

on average within the last 10 years (compared to 63% and 2.7

visits in 10 years for the all-market average).

327

90

293

13

52

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Holiday Business VFR Study Misc.

Share of

visits for…

Holiday Business VFR Study Misc.

Bahrain 48% 5% 38% 0% 10%

Kuwait 65% 5% 21% 1% 8%

Oman 36% 4% 46% 3% 10%

Qatar 44% 6% 40% <1% 9%

Saudi Arabia 54% 10% 25% 4% 7%

UAE 30% 17% 47% 1% 5%

GCC 42% 12% 38% 2% 7%

All markets 37% 24% 31% 1% 6%


1.1 Key statistics: seasonality

11

Seasonality 2016


• GCC visitors tend to come to the UK in the summer months:

in 2016, just over 2-in-5 visits from the GCC overall to the

UK were made between July and September.

• All individual Gulf markets also follow the pattern of a strong

third quarter: it is the time of the year when temperatures in

the Gulf are at their highest. For this reason, many go on

holiday in places where the climate is milder during the

summer months.

• However, the influence of the Eid-al-Fitr and the Eid-al-Adha

celebrations account for some variations over the years. In

2013, the Eid-al-Adha was celebrated mid-October, which

can explain the peak in Q4 visits from the GCC to the UK

that year.

19% 18%

41%

21%20%

27%28%

25%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Jan-Mar Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec

Sh

are

of

vis

its

GCC All markets

Seasonality trend (visits 000s)

151142

319

164

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Jan - Mar Apr - Jun Jul - Sep Oct - Dec


1.1 Key statistics: length of stay and accommodation

12


Accommodation stayed in, 2016 (nights, %share)

• Gulf visitors tend to stay longer than most markets: in 2016 they stayed in the UK for 12 nights on average, compared

to just 7 across all markets. However, this varies quite a lot depending on the individual market, with UAE visits

staying 10 nights on average while Saudi visits last on average 16 nights.

• However, over half of all visits to the UK from all individual GCC markets except for the UAE between 2014 and 2016

lasted at least 8 nights, compared to 22% across all markets (and still 42% for UAE).

• Visitors from the Gulf are more likely to stay as free guests with friends or relatives or in hotels/ guest houses. Looking

at the two main markets, visitors from the UAE are more likely to stay with friends and relatives for free, while Saudi

visitors spend more nights in hotels or guest houses.

• Gulf visitors spent 12% of their nights in the UK in 2016 at a place they own, well above the 2% across all markets.

Duration of stay trend (visits 000s)

39%

31%

12%

9%

3%

2% 1% 0.3% Free Guest

Hotels/Guest house

Own Home

Rented House/Flat

Hostel/University/School

Paying Guest

Other

Bed and Breakfast

2

160

245

200

170

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Nil nights 1-3 nights 4-7 nights

8-14 nights 15+ nights


1.1 Key statistics: regional spread

Region Nights stayed

(000)

Visits

(000)

Spend

(£m)

Total 9,519 775 1,430

Scotland (SC) 451 68 43

Wales (WA) 306 26 30

Northern Ireland (NI) 43 3 3

London (LDN) 4,142 477 917

North East (NE) 183 14 111

North West (NW) 1,074 85 87

Yorkshire (YO) 538 37 39

West Midlands (WM) 749 55 46

East Midlands (EM) 218 19 25

East of England (EoE) 298 32 17

South West (SW) 304 40 23

South East (SE) 1,130 82 86

Nil nights (Nil) N/A 2 1

13

Nights (% share, 2016)

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS. Visits data for nations and regions includes overnight stays, not day trips.

Visits to the UK (2016)


1.1 Key statistics: regional spread and top towns and cities

14

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016, base: visitors; *To be defined as a package, a holiday must be sold at an inclusive price covering both fares to and from the UK and the

cost of at least some accommodation. Neither the respondent nor the travel agent from whom the package was bought will know how much of the inclusive price is accounted for by fares or by accommodation.

Top towns and cities visited (2014-2016) • London is the leading destination for a trip to Britain; in

2016 over 3-in-5 visits from the GCC included at least one

night in the British capital city.

• However, GCC visitors spent roughly as many nights in

London as in the rest of England between 2014 and 2016:

46% of all nights each. Nights spent in Scotland by GCC

visitors are below the all-market average (5% vs 8%).

• When looking at indidual markets, Kuwaitis stay in

London more than the other GCC visitors: they spent 70%

of their nights in the UK there on average in 2014-2016.

Visitors from Oman only spent about 1-in-5 nights in

London, while those from Saudia Arabia and the UAE also

spent fewer nights in London than in the rest of England.

• Visitors from the GCC are more likely to go to rural areas

than coastal areas of Britain, when in the UK.

• Virtually all visits from the GCC to the UK are independent

visits, rather than a package tour*.

• Within the UK, GCC visitors are more likely than average

to use taxis, hire a car for more flexibility or take a

domestic flight. However, they would be less likely to use

their own vehicle, hop on a train to move from one city to

another, or get on a coach with a group.

Regional spread 2014-2016 Share of

nights…

Scotland Wales London Rest of

England

Northern

Ireland

Bahrain 1% 2% 40% 57% <1%

Kuwait 1% 3% 70% 27% -

Oman 3% 7% 18% 68% -

Qatar 9% 3% 43% 43% 1%

Saudi

Arabia2% 3% 44% 50% <1%

UAE 7% 4% 40% 49% <1%

GCC 5% 3% 46% 46% <1%

All

markets8% 3% 40% 48% 1%

Town Average yearly overnight visits (000s)

London 437

Manchester 37

Edinburgh 22


1.1 Key statistics: visits to coast, countryside and villages

15

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS 2016

Propensity to visit coast, countryside and villages

13%

10%

18%

14%

2%

2%

17%

13%

16%

10%

16%

9%

3%

0

22%

15%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

All journey purposes: Went to countryside or villages

All journey purposes: Went to the coast or beaches

Holiday: Went to countryside or villages

Holiday: Went to the coast or beaches

Business: Went to countryside or villages

Business: Went to the coast or beaches

VFR: Went to countryside or villages

VFR: Went to the coast or beaches

GCC All markets


1.1 Key statistics: use of internal modes of transport

16

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, 2013

Propensity to use internal modes of transport

2%

53%

28%

32%

8%

4%

8%

15%

2%

3%

47%

27%

62%

5%

2%

12%

1%

1%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Domestic flight

Bus, Tube, Tram or Metro Train(within town/city)

Train (outside town/city)

Taxi

Public bus/coach (outsidetown/city)

Private coach/minibus (forgroup only)

Hired self-drive car/vehicle

Car/vehicle you/group broughtto the UK

Ferry/boat

GCC All markets


1.1 Key statistics: purchase of transport and package tours

17

International Passenger Survey by ONS, VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016, base: visitors; *To be defined as a package, a holiday must be sold at an inclusive price covering both fares to and from the UK and the cost of at

least some accommodation. Neither the respondent nor the travel agent from whom the package was bought will know how much of the inclusive price is accounted for by fares or by accommodation.

Transport services purchased before or

during trip (%)

Proportion of visits that are bought as part

of a package or all-inclusive tour in 2016*

3%

0%

1%

14%

1%

6%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

Holiday VFR All journey purposes

GCC All markets

Saudi

Arabia

UAE GCC All

markets

Transport

within London

Pre 51% 40% 45% 26%

During 39% 45% 41% 52%

Train travelPre 50% 34% 44% 27%

During 30% 47% 36% 31%

Airport

transfer

Pre 53% 50% 52% 36%

During 33% 29% 31% 29%

Coach travelPre 49% 42% 46% 24%

During 31% 36% 33% 25%

Car hirePre 50% 48% 49% 27%

During 29% 42% 33% 15%

Flights within

the UK

Pre 51% 58% 54% 28%

During 20% 23% 21% 9%


Visitor characteristics

• There are more men than women visiting the UK from the GCC for all types of visits, except for visiting friends and relatives (VFR) for which numbers are similar.

• Visitors from the Gulf markets are younger than the average: there are only a handful of visitors over 65 years old (1% of all visits in 2016), and 42% are under 35 (compared to 38% from all markets).

• In 2016 almost 1-in-2 visits from the GCC were made by a UAE resident (47% of all GCC visits). Saudi Arabia accounted for 20%, Kuwait 14%, and Qatar 11%. Over two thirds of visits from the UAE are made by Dubai residents, and a similar share of Saudi Arabian visits are made by residents of Riyadh City and Jeddah.

• Among GCC residents visiting the UK, the proportion who are UK expats is very high in the UAE (almost 1 in 2), but also in Qatar and Bahrain. The proportion of nationals vs. expats by market has an impact on trip characteristics.

• 9-in-10 staying holiday visitors from the GCC are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ likely to recommend visiting Britain.

18

1.2 Visitor demographics

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, CAA 2016

31%of GCC visits were made by

UK expats in 2016


1.2 Visitor demographics: gender and age groups

19


Visitor demographics (2016):

gender ratio of visits from the GCC:

40% women, 60% men

Age group trend

20%

36%

50%

20%

51% 56%

0%

20%

40%

60%

Business Holiday VFR

Women (% share of visits by journey purpose)

GCC All markets

80%64%

50%

80%

49% 44%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Business Holiday VFR

Men (share of visits by journey purpose)

GCC All markets

52

61

214

229

158

53

900

50

100

150

200

250

Vis

its

(0

00

s)

0 -15 16-24 25-34

35-44 45-54 55-64

65+ Not Known


1.2 Visitor demographics: nationalities

20

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS; * ‚other Middle East‘ nationalities include Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, Other Middle East, and Egypt

Visitor demographics: visits from GCC residents

by nationality* (2014-2016)

Share of visits

for…

Nationals Other

GCC

Other

Middle East

UK

nationals

Other

nationalities

Bahrain 48% 3% 3% 30% 17%

Kuwait 85% 0% 3% 5% 6%

Oman 60% 1% 4% 24% 12%

Qatar 42% 1% 6% 34% 17%

Saudi Arabia 68% 1% 2% 17% 12%

UAE 17% 1% 4% 48% 29%

GCC 44% 1% 4% 32% 19%

• Data on inbound visits to the UK by market usually refers to the country of residence of the visitor. Here we look at the

nationality of GCC visitors.

• The UAE is the only GCC country from which there were more UK expats visiting the UK than GCC nationals. However,

there were more expats in general visiting than GCC nationals from Qatar. For Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, GCC

nationals account for a high proportion of visits to the UK.

• Across all the GCC, GCC nationals are the group that stayed the longest and spent the most on average per visit.

• Almost 1-in-3 visits from the GCC were made by a UK expat in 2014-2016.

• The UK expats who reside in Bahrain, Qatar and UAE are likely to stay longer than others.

GCC nationals Other nationalities

(inc. UK)

£2,721 £1,356

£3,289 £1,468

£1,840 £1,005

£3,273 £1,225

£3,467 £1,593

£2,716 £1,260

£3,129 £1,299

Average spend per visit per

nationality group (2014-2016)


High

Medium

Low

Visits in 000s | % share of visits

21

1.2 Visitor demographics: origin

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, 2016 (UAE), 2010 (Saudi Arabia)

Origin of visits to the UK

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait Bahrain

Qatar

UAE

Oman

14% 4%

5%

11%

20%

47%

• In 2016 about 1-in-2 visits from the

GCC to the UK was made by an

UAE resident, and 1-in-5 by a Saudi

resident.

• Within Saudi Arabia, most visitors

came from Jeddah and Riyadh city.

Most UAE visits usually come from

Dubai, followed by Abu Dhabi (67%

and 15% respectively).


1.2 Visitor demographics: welcome and recommending Britain

22

Source: CAA 2016

Feeling of ‘welcome’ in Britain Likelihood to recommend Britain

29%

55%

16%

1% 0%

39%

49%

12%

0% 0%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Extremelywelcome

Verywelcome

Quitewelcome

Not verywelcome

Not at allwelcome

GCC All markets

39%

51%

10%

0% 0%

45% 45%

9%

1% 0%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Extremelylikely

Very likely Quite likely Not verylikely

Not at alllikely

GCC All markets


Market size, share and growth potential

• Over two thirds of international visits from the GCC individual markets are made to another GCC destination (68% in 2016).

• Britain is the most visited destination in Western Europe. For the UAE and Qatar, it is the most visited country outside of the GCC. For Bahrain, Oman and GCC overall it is the second-most visited destination outside of the Gulf region (after Turkey from Bahrain and from the GCC in total, and after India from Oman).

• Turkey is Britain’s main competitor in Europe: it has more cultural similarities with the GCC markets that can reassure visitors from those markets.

• Looking forward, visits to the UK are forecast to grow moderately following strong growth over the last several years. However, the market share of the UK in the GCC outbound visits’ destinations is forecast to decrease slightly between 2016 and 2021.

23

1.3 Britain and competitors

Source: Oxford Economics, Middle East includes the GCC, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, Other Middle East, and Egypt

Britain ranks 1st

among GCC outbounddestinations by volume in

Western Europe



24

Source: Oxford Economics, based on overnight visit

Britain’s market share of total GCC

outbound visits among competitor set

Historic and potential visits to Britain (000s)

830

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

200

02

00

12

00

22

00

32

00

42

00

52

00

62

00

72

00

82

00

92

01

02

01

12

01

22

01

32

01

42

01

52

01

62

01

72

01

82

01

92

02

02

02

12

02

2

5%

4%

12%

9%

19%

35%

15%

3%

3%

7%

12%

17%

28%

30%

3%

3%

8%

11%

15%

26%

33%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%

Australia

Canada

Malaysia

Switzerland

United States

United Kingdom

Turkey

2021 2016 2011



25

Source: Oxford Economics, based on overnight visit, Other Middle East includes Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, Other Middle East, and Egypt

Britain’s market share of total GCC

outbound visits compared to other

destinations (2016)

Historic and potential visits to Britain by market

in share of total outbound visits (%)

2.8%

7.9%

1.6%

5.1%

1.5%

1.9%

1.1%

3.6%

11.5%

1.6%

5.8%

1.9%

2.8%

1.7%

3.1%

8.2%

1.9%

2.9%

1.4%

2.0%

1.7%

0% 5% 10% 15%

GCC (overall)

UAE

Saudi Arabia

Qatar

Oman

Kuwait

Bahrain

2011 2016 2021

Intra GCC, 68%Other Middle East,

9%

UK, 4%

Other Europe, 10%

Other destinations,

10%


Inbound Britain activities

• Among Gulf visitors, dining in restaurants is the most popular activity, followed by going shopping and visiting parks and gardens. Socialising with locals and sightseeing famous monuments/ buildings also often feature in visits from the GCC to the UK.

• GCC travellers tend to be city dwellers: they are more likely to dine in restaurants, and visit parks and gardens than the all-market average visitor to Britain.

• However, GCC holidaymakers are less likely than the average holiday visitor to museums and galleries, or other built heritage sites when they are in Britain.

• They are more likely to shop for personal items (clothes, perfumes, jewellery, and other accessories). Football is the sport they would more likely watch live in Britain.

26

1.4 Inbound activities

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, rankings based on 2006-2016 data



27

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS 2016

Propensity to visit museums and

galleries

Propensity to visit built heritage sites

28%

6%

48%

23%

25%

7%

39%

16%

0% 20% 40% 60%

All journeypurposes

Business

Holiday

VFR

GCC All markets

28%

20%

48%

35%

23%

18%

22%

14%

34%

19%

14%

11%

0% 20% 40% 60%

All journey purposes: visitedcastles/historic houses

All journey purposes: visited religiousbuildings

Holiday: visited castles/historic houses

Holiday: visited religious buildings

VFR: visited castles/historic houses

VFR: visited religious buildings

GCC All markets



28

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS 2011 and 2016

Propensity to attend the performing arts Number who went to watch live sports

during trip from the GCC to the UK (000s)

14%

2%

8%

9%

15%

5%

6%

10%

0% 10% 20%

Holiday: Went to thetheatre/musical/opera/ballet

Business: Went to thetheatre/musical/opera/ballet

VFR: Went to the theatre/musical/opera/ballet

All journey purposes: Went to thetheatre/musical/opera/ballet

GCC All markets

0.4

1.0

1.7

16.8

0 5 10 15 20

Cricket

Rugby

Horse racing

Football



29

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS 2007, 2010 and 2016

Propensity to go for a walk or cycle Propensity to visit a park or garden

32%

7%

50%

32%

37%

15%

53%

30%

0% 20% 40% 60%

All journeypurposes:

Visiting parksor gardens

Business:Visiting parks

or gardens

Holiday:Visiting parks

or gardens

VFR: Visitingparks orgardens

GCC All markets

20%

1%

8%

28%

2%

11%

26%

2%

11%

24%

2%

9%

31%

4%

14%

30%

1%

10%

0% 20% 40%

All journey purposes: Walking in thecountryside

All journey purposes: Cycling

All journey purposes: Walking along the coast

VFR: Walking in the countryside

VFR: Cycling

VFR: Walking along the coast

Holiday: Walking in the countryside

Holiday: Cycling

Holiday: Walking along the coast

GCC All markets



30

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2013

Propensity to go to restaurants, go to

pubs, and socialise with locals

Propensity to purchase selected items (%)

41%

10%

9%

12%

13%

9%

24%

5%

3%

3%

16%

38%

65%

24%

32%

34%

19%

22%

21%

11%

7%

4%

12%

23%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Clothes or Shoes

Personal accessories e.g. jewellery

Bags, purses etc

Cosmetics or toiletries e.g. perfume

Books or stationery

Games, toys or gifts for children

Food or drink

CDs, DVDs, computer games etc

Electrical or electronic items e.g. camera

Items for your home e.g. furnishing

Other holiday souvenir (not mentioned above)

None of these

All markets GCC

34%

61%

36%

70%

50%

62%

36%

72%

33%

76%

59%

73%

0% 50% 100%

All journey purposes: socialising with the locals

All journey purposes: dining in restaurants

Holiday: socialising with the locals

Holiday: dining in restaurants

VFR: socialising with the locals

VFR: dining in restaurants

GCC All markets


Understanding

the market

Chapter 2:

31


Chapter summary • All GCC countries are monarchies with a strong Arab heritage and culture

although most markets’ populations have a high proportion of immigrants. As

these migrants and expats come from a diverse range of Western countries

and South Asia, English is commonly used, and is also quite important in the

media landscape, alongside the Pan-Arab TV channels.

• The population is quite young and so social media are very popular. Mobile

technologies are also important.

• Trust is important in the Gulf culture. Recommendations from friends and

relatives, or people whose opinions they know and trust, like social media

influencers, are key sources of influence in the market, when choosing their

holiday destination.

• Destionation choice can be made quite late as the Gulf travellers usually

have shorter lead-in times than most other markets.

• As a key luxury market, wealthy Gulf travellers would look for luxury hotels or

stately homes to stay at, offering high-standards of services, ensuring their

privacy and the personalisation they look for. Shopping and authenticity are

important to them. London will be the British destination they would more

likely associate with a luxury holiday.

32

2.Understanding the market

Source: VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016, CIA World Factbook, Oxford Economics, VB/Kantar Millward Brown 2017 research

The British

climate and

vibrant cities are key reasons why Saudis and Emiratis

choose to visit the UK


Demographics & society• All GCC countries are monarchies. Most took their present day form in the 20th

century. Saudi Arabia unified its kingdom in 1932, with an absolute monarchy

ruling 13 provinces. The UAE became a federation of monarchies in the 1970’s,

with 6 original states, and a further 7th joining afterwards. Both Kuwait and Bahrain

used to be British protectorates until 1961 and 1971 respectively, with

constitutional monarchies assuming power. Oman and Qatar were organised as

absolute monarchies earlier: the Omani’s 11 governorates reaching their

independence from Portuguese domination in 1650, and Qatar’s Al Thani family

ruling over its 8 municipalities since the mid-1800s.

33

2.1 Structural drivers

Source: Oxford Economics, CIA World Factbook 2017

about halfof the GCC population

• Many differences still exist in the area. For example, while most of their GDPs are reliant on oil and natural gas,

the UAE has since longed diversified its economy and others have started to do so too.

• They all share the same official language, Arabic, and the same majoritarian religion, Islam, with the two most holy

Muslim cities sited on Saudi territory. However, immigrants from Asia, Africa and Europe account for about half of

the GCC population on average, which means that English is widely spoken.

• The population in the GCC countries is usually concentrated in and around the main cities: residents of urban

areas account for 79% of Omanis, 84% of Saudis, 86% of Emiratis, 90% of Bahrainis, 98% of Kuwaitis, and 99%

of Qataris (compared to 83% for the UK residents).

International migrants

account for


2.1 Structural drivers: population indicators

34

Source: Oxford Economics, CIA World Factbook 2017, UN Migration report 2017 Highlights, Capgemini World Wealth Report 2017

*HNWIs: stands for High Net Worth Individuals, people whose liquid assets are worth US$1m or over

Population dynamics

• Saudi Arabia is the most populated country among the GCC: 3-in-5 Gulf inhabitants are Saudi.

• Over half of the inhabitants of the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar are expats.

• Gulf residents are relatively young on average: median ages rank between 25.6 in Oman and 33.2 years old in

Qatar, compared to 40.5 in the UK.

• Overall the Middle East was the 4th largest world region in volume of HNWIs* in 2016, behind Asia Pacific, North

America and Europe. Individually, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait feature in the top 25 source markets by volume of

HNWIs, ranking 16th with 176,000 HNWIs and 18th with 159,000 HNWIs respectively in 2016. Kuwait is the second-

fastest growing HNWI source market by volume and value since 2010, just after China.

Measure – 2017 estimates (unless otherwise stated)

Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi

Arabia

UAE

Total population (m) 1.3 4.1 4.6 2.6 32.8 9.4

Median age (years) 32.3 29.3 25.6 33.2 27.5 30.3

Population growth rate between

2017-2022 (%)7.7 8.3 16.1 10.8 8.9 6.8

Proportion of international migrants

(% of total population) 48.4 75.5 44.7 65.2 37.0 88.4


2.1 Structural drivers: economic indicators

35

Source: Oxford Economics

Economic indicators (% growth unless stated)

Measure – 2017 estimates Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar Saudi

Arabia

UAE

Real GDP yearly growth rate (%) 2.6 -1.7 0.2 1.3 -0.7 1.7

Petroleum production (barrels/day) 190.2 2,707.0 977.1 612.6 9,900.0 2,921.1


Arabia

UAE

Real GDP yearly growth rate (%) 2.1 2.4 3.6 3.1 2.0 2.6



Arabia

UAE

Real GDP yearly growth rate (%) 2.8 5.0 2.9 3.4 2.8 4.1



2.1 Structural drivers: general market overview

36

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, Oxford Economics, CIA World Factbook 2017

*If considered as a single market

GDP per capita

Market GDP per capita

(nominal, US$), 2017

Bahrain $26,022

Kuwait $28,560

Oman $15,216

Qatar $63,337

Saudi Arabia $20,837

UAE $39,310

General market conditions

• Considering all 6 GCC countries together, the Gulf

market would rank as Britain’s 15th largest source

market in terms of visits, and 3rd most valuable, as

of 2016*.

• Despite diversification of the Gulf countries’

economies in the last few years, overall the GDP of

the Gulf region remains dependent on oil and gas.

• Qatar’s GDP per capita is amongst the highest in the world.

UAE’s is comparable to the Western European average.

Oman’s is closer to that of a middle income economy.

• While not all GCC markets were in recession in 2017, all

economies were affected by weak oil and gas prices.

• Lower than expected performances in non-oil, non-gas

sectors in Kuwait and Oman, for example, did not help to

improve 2017’s GDP results.

• With the most diversified exports among the GCC, UAE and

Bahrain were the two countries with the biggest real GDP

growth rates in 2017.

• Despite the risks that have recently arisen in the wake of the

crisis between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, forecasts for most

markets are more optimistic for 2018. This is partly due to

increasing government investments, as the GCC still

includes over 650 state-owned companies.

• In Saudi Arabia a new plan outlines measures to diversify

their economy and open the country more by 2030.


2.1 Structural drivers: exchange rate trends

37

Source: Bank of England

Exchange rate trends (cost of GBP in SAR and AED)

4.0

4.5

5.0

5.5

6.0

6.5

7.0

7.5

8.0

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Saudi Riyal

UAE Dirham

Please find the most up-to-date exchange rate trend based on monthly averages at visitbritain.org/visitor-economy-facts.

https://www.visitbritain.org/visitor-economy-facts


• When looking at Gulf nationals, it is important to keep in mind the

differences between the markets and their cultures.

• Family life is important in these countries and it is a frequent desire

to spend more time with one’s family. Religious values are also

important. These will influence the way they will travel.

• Recently some destinations of similar culture, such as Turkey, the

Maghreb or South East Asian countries, have seen more visits from

Gulf markets. They are destinations matching their values and

offering them what they need for a family holiday, relaxation and

activities.

• The Gulf market is a key luxury travel market. Britain is well-

regarded and a majority of wealthy Saudis and Emiratis choose

Britain among the places they would definitely like to visit. Luxury

travellers tend to consider London and Scotland as places where

they could get the privacy and high level of attention and service

they demand. Britain is also perceived as a good shopping

destination for them, which is another key aspect of luxury holidays.

• With the implementation of VAT and the Saudi Vision 2030 projects

some changes in consumer trends in the Gulf markets may be

expected.

38

2.2 Consumer trends

Sources: VB/Kantar Millward Brown 2017 research, Oxford Economics

86%of Gulf luxury travellers

have Britain on their bucket list


2.2 Consumer trends: motivation and attitudes to holidays

39

Source: 2016 VB/Radius study on Saudi international travellers, the UN’s Household Size and Composition Around the World 2017,

*ArcGIS, based on data from Michael Bauer Research, 2016

Focus on Saudi travellers

• Looking at the Saudi market can help get a better understanding of what

going on holiday means for international travellers in the GCC.

• Saudi travellers often go abroad: 47% of the respondents to our survey do

so at least once a year, and 40% say to do so at least once every six

months.

• Travelling among friends or groups will generally be composed of either

exclusively men or exclusively women. Groups of men will often look for an

adventure holiday, watching live sports (football in particular), or doing

something active. Groups of women would usually look for more indulging

activities, like relaxing in a spa, going shopping. Both will appreciate fine

dining options. Groups of Saudi millennials are more likely to have visited

Wales than other groups of respondents, for example.

• Family is very important in the Gulf markets, and so most holidays are

made together with partners and children: in Saudi Arabia, respondents to

our survey in 2016 said 72% of their past trips were taken as a family, and

77% of future ones would be as well.

• Overall perceptions of the UK among Saudi travellers are very positive:

93% had previously visited Britain/London. The British climate and beautiful

landscapes are key motivators, as is its history. It is seen as the perfect

destination for a European luxury holiday.

5.9 5.8

8.0

5.3 5.66.3

2.3

Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar SaudiArabia

UAE* UK

Average number of people per household in the GCC in 2016


2.2 Consumer trends: motivation and attitudes to holidays

40

Source: VB/Kantar Millward Brown 2017 research

* Mass Affluent are people with liquid assets valued over $150,000, but below $1 million; ** HNWIs are people with liquid assets

valued over $1 million.

Focus on Gulf luxury travellers• In 2017 VB commissioned Kantar Millward Brown to investigate the motivation and attitudes to holidays

of international luxury travellers, including Mass Affluent* and HNWIs** from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.• If the USA and the UK are top of their mind in terms of considered destinations for a luxury holidays,

Spain and the Caribbean also rank high, as the weather is a key factor for choosing a destination. They may need reassurance on visa procedures.

• The UK is seen mostly as comfortable, historical and relaxing. London and Scotland stand out as potential luxury destinations in Britain. One-in-two would like to attend The Championships Wimbledon.

• Those travellers want to feel relaxed and unique when they go on holidays: more so than other markets, Gulf luxury travellers are looking for personal, high-standard, exclusive services. Top attribute defining a luxury holiday for them is to have a ‘relaxing and hassle-free experience’, with HNWIs quoting ‘VIP treatment and excellent service’ at every touchpoint first. Accommodation is the most important element of their trip and special attention should be given to it. Privacy is key. While in the UK, those travellers are looking for a luxury hotel or stately homes where to stay. They would also appreciate lush dining experiences, preferring Michelin-starred restaurants, and shopping is a must, with brands such as Rolls Royce, Harrods, Aston Martin, the Claridge’s, Wimbledon or the Chelsea stadium being well-known.

• About three-in-four respondents would look to get ‘tailor-made itinerary’ and ‘authentic experiences’, both essential parts of their luxury holidays. Most important for them is to go at their own rhythm, experiencing what matches their own interests at destinations, in an exclusive way, and at a pace that would suit them. They would even prefer to book experiences once at destination, rather than before.

• Word-of-mouth is key in terms of influences, and planning a holiday is exciting for most. Booking though is done quite late, slightly ahead of the general market trend though as they want to make sure they will have access to the right transport and accommodation options, preferring to packages to booking all trip elements separately. Luxury travel agents are appreciated for booking, liaising with them mostly over the phone through their assistant. Online self-booking are more common among the mass affluent group.

• Only 51% would travel alone, they prefer to travel with their partner, friends and other family members.

86%have Britain on

their bucket list

London appeals to

72%as a British luxury

destination

47%think ‘historical’ best

describes Britain

62%think Britain can meet

their ‘shopping needs’

49%would dine at a

Michelin-star or award-

wining restaurant during

their luxury holiday


2.2 Consumer trends: different attitudes towards luxury

41

Source: The Chalhoub Group, VB/Kantar Millward Brown 2017 research

United Arab Emirates: mature and aspirational market• The UAE market has a ‘luxury mall’ culture.

• They are familiar with the luxury brands, especially with

the traditional European brands

• They know what they want, they are into design and the

latest trends. Most young Emiratis want a brand that is

visible, it is about making their social status recognised.

• Emirati luxury travellers are more likely than the Saudi

ones to visit the UK because of the British fashion and car

brands (81% vs 73%, and 81% vs 78% respectively).

• They would also be more likely to buy clothing than

Saudis.

• Overall shopping would be more important to the Emiratis

when they go on holidays than it would be to the Saudi

holidaymakers. They would prefer to visit the flagship

stores of the brands they like (56%).

Saudi Arabia: emerging and passive market• With the latest developments in the country, and more

opening than ever, the luxury consumer is changing as

the market opens up.

• Most Saudis are looking for something unique.

• However, they still shop within a limited set of brands

and require guidance and support from the sales staff.

• Saudi luxury travellers are more likely than the Emirati

ones to visit the UK because of the world-famous

British brands of shopping experiences, such as

Harrods (73% vs 68% respectively), or hotels and

sports venues (68% vs 66%, and 76% vs 73%

respectively).

• Overall Saudi travellers prefer to go shopping where a

personal shopping experience is offered, or the local

luxury department stores (65% and 59% respectively).

Kuwait: mature and assertive market• Kuwaitis are familiar with brands and like to indulge.

• They know what they want. They have no problem

choosing a brand simply because they like it.

Qatar: mature and following market• Qataris are also quite familiar with luxury brands.

• However, similarly to the Saudis, they appreciate some

support and guidance and would follow advice from

others.


2.2 Consumer trends: latest domestic developments in the GCC

42

Source: Saudi Vision 2030, Deloitte report on ‘VAT in the Gulf Countries, Thinking ahead’, February 2017

Saudi Arabia: a new vision• In 2015 a new Saudi king was crowned: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.• He has recently released Saudi Vision 2030, a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, while diversifying its

economy and developing public service sectors. Health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism are all sectors that the Saudi Vision 2030 aims at growing by leveraging their culture, values, heritage and role among the Arab States, as well as its links with other world regions.

• To do so they want to promote culture and entertainment. A specialised authority has been created in May 2016, investments were made since to develop the first public concert held in over 25 years, and to create a large sports, culture and entertainment complex in Riyadh, as well as a theme park set to open in 2022. Cinemas have also been allowed to open, and women will be able to attend concerts and performances for the celebrations of the 87 th

anniversary of the Saudi founding.• Women will also be able to drive on their own later this year, and allowed to attend sports events.• To develop tourism Saudi Arabia has launched of a Red Sea luxury resort project, the development of a high-end

luxury tourism complex. Saudi Arabia will also start to deliver tourism visa in 2018, enabling people to come to visit, instead of only for business, visiting acquaintances or pilgrimage as it was the case until now. Some domestic airports should welcome their first international routes too. Domestic tourism should also get a boost.

• Those infrastructure upgrades will also generate more domestic tourism. Many of the changes proposed by the Saudi Vision 2030 will leave their mark on the Saudi society.

A changing trade culture• The GCC States had previously announced the simultaneous introduction of VAT in all six countries. However, this

plan has been since revised.• VAT will first be introduced in the Emirati and Saudi economies in 2018, followed by the rest of the GCC countries. As

those two countries are the biggest markets, trade flows in the region should not be distorted on VAT implementation.• By signing the VAT Framework Treaty, GCC countries agreed on conditions that should make VAT revenues

represent between 0.8% and 1.6% of each countries’ GDP. In the long term it might also impact consumer trends.


• We will now look at the booking and planning patterns for international

holidays for nationals of the two biggest outbound markets in the Gulf,

Saudi Arabia and UAE, which will give us an idea of the overall trends

for the Gulf.

• Overall, Gulf markets tend to have a short lead-in times in planning and

booking their holidays. For example, about 12% of Saudi and Emirati

travellers decided to visit Britain within a month of their trip, while only

7% did so on average across 20 source markets.

• Booking is often left to the last minute: 35% of Gulf visitors booked their

trip to Britain within a month of visiting, which compares to 21% for the

global average.

• While Gulf international travellers are usually quite tech-savvy, they are

also more likely than average to pick up their phone or make a face-to-

face booking to visit Britain.

• Broadcast media are still quite controlled by the state across the area,

with two media free-zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Al-Jazeera in Qatar

also claims editorial independence and is a world-famous Arabic news

channel. Shows in Arabic, such as those shot in Turkey, are also very

popular amongst GCC nationals.

43

2.3 Booking and planning

Source: VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016. Gulf/GCC data in Section 2.3 refers to an average of Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Word-of-mouth,

price comparison and social media

are the leading influences for Gulf

travellers to choose their next destination


2.3 Booking and planning: booking channels and ticket sales

44

Source: VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016, base: visitors (online survey)

How trips to Britain were booked Propensity to make a purchase before or

during trip

• Booking online is less common in the GCC than in many other

markets. Only two thirds of transport bookings, when booked

independently from accommodation, were made online,

compared to the all-market average, 85%.

• GCC visitors are also more likely to book a holiday

(accommodation and travel together) face-to-face or over the

phone than the global average (31% vs 26% and 20% vs 8%

respectively).

• Overall, Saudi and Emirati visitors are more likely to have

purchased activities to undertake in the UK than the global

average. They are also more likely to buy them in advance of

the trip rather than during their stay in the UK.

• 74% of visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE say they like to

carefully plan their holidays before they leave. However, 63% of

visitors from these markets also say that they like to be

spontaneous and decide on some itinerary details at the last

minute.

66%

43% 48%

29%

24%

31%

5%

11%

20%17%

0% 5% 1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Travel Accommodation Holiday(travel and

accommodation)

Don’t know

Did not book – stayed with friends / relatives

By phone

Face to face

Online

Saudi

Arabia

UAE GCC All

markets

Theatre/ Musical/

Concert tickets

Pre 46% 32% 41% 30%

During 27% 45% 34% 23%

Sporting event ticketsPre 43% 44% 44% 24%

During 18% 40% 26% 11%

Guided sightseeing

tours in London

Pre 50% 51% 51% 28%

During 26% 30% 27% 22%

Guided sightseeing

tours outside London

Pre 49% 38% 45% 28%

During 29% 39% 32% 19%

Tickets/ passes for other

tourist attractions

Pre 49% 34% 44% 30%

During 28% 34% 36% 41%


2.3 Booking and planning: lead-times

45

Source: VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016, base: visitors from Saudi Arabia and UAE altogether

Decision lead-time for visiting Britain• Overall, visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE tend to

have shorter lead-in times than most markets.

• UAE visitors start thinking about their trip to Britain even

later than those from Saudi Arabia: 10% and 6%

respectively started to think about their trip within a month

of their departure date.

• Gulf visitors also decided on their destination later than

most markets: while 32% across all markets decided to visit

Britain 6 months or more in advance of their trips, only 15%

of Saudi and Emirati visitors did so in the same timeframe.

• Over a third of them looked at options and prices only 1-2

months before their trips, and over 1-in-5 visitors from the

UAE or Saudi Arabia did so in the month of departure itself

(compared to 27% and 12% respectively for the all-market

average).

• Finally, over a third of bookings to Britain were made by

Saudi and Emirati visitors within a month of their trip or less,

against 21% on average for previous visitors across all

markets.

• Visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE are also more likely

to book transport and accommodation, when these

elements are booked separately, through an intermediary

compared to visitors from most other markets.

Saudi

Arabia

UAE GCC All markets

Starting to

think about

trip

6+ months 37% 44% 39% 45%

3-6 months 35% 30% 33% 31%

1-2 months 15% 14% 14% 13%

Less than 1 month 6% 10% 7% 5%

Don’t know 7% 2% 6% 3%

Deciding on

the

destination

6+ months 15% 16% 15% 32%

3-6 months 39% 46% 42% 38%

1-2 months 26% 20% 24% 19%

Less than 1 month 12% 14% 12% 7%

Don’t know 8% 4% 7% 3%

Looking at

options/

prices

6+ months 9% 11% 10% 21%

3-6 months 28% 23% 26% 37%

1-2 months 35% 36% 35% 27%

Less than 1 month 20% 25% 22% 12%

Don’t know 8% 5% 7% 4%

Booking the

trip

6+ months 7% 9% 8% 14%

3-6 months 22% 9% 18% 32%

1-2 months 27% 20% 25% 28%

Less than 1 month 34% 38% 35% 21%

Don’t know 10% 24% 15% 5%


• Mobile internet and social media are the two most useful channels to

reach out to the GCC audience. They both are very effective

platforms, especially leveraging the social media influencers as trust

and recommendations are essential in those markets.

• However, broadcast media is still important, with television being the

second most important way to reach out to the GCC consumers.

Morning shows on the Pan-Arab TV channels are especially well

followed.

• Other traditional media have changed: GCC nationals are more and

more likely to consume music, news and even video content online.

• Newspapers and magazines have not disappeared, however. They

just reach their audience now with the help of their website and other

mobile apps and social media accounts.

• Both media and companies have recognised the importance of the

social media, and especially Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as

well as YouTube, which are often used to promote brands in the

region and spread news.

46

2.4 Reaching the consumer

Source: 2017 Media Use in the Middle East Research is Northwestern University in Qatar, Statista, McKinsey’s Digital Middle East: Transforming the region into a leading digital economy, October 2016

Digitalisationof content is key as

newspapers, magazines, radio are often read, and

listened to online, and even on mobile


Use and trends• Media in both English and Arabic are widely available and consumed.

• The Internet penetration rate is higher in the GCC than on average worldwide.

According to the CIA World Fact Book, 70% of the Omani population were

Internet users as of July 2016, 74% of Saudis, 78% of Kuwaitis, 91% of Emiratis,

94% of Qataris, and 98% of Bahrainis.

• With such high and growing penetration rate, the Internet is widely used across

GCC markets. According to McKinsey, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE are defined

as highly digitalised consumer markets, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are at a more

average level, and Oman digitalisation is still a bit low for the region.

• Content that used to be on more traditional media are often now read, watched

or listened to online. For example, over half of Qataris (58%), 8-in-10 Saudis,

and 9-in-10 Emiratis get news on their phones daily.

• Overall, radios in the GCC markets has the lowest range and reach for

promoting a destination. Print still has some reach within the market, but its

audience is mainly subscribers. Mobile and desktop digital versions of the same

publications usually get maximum reach, so it essential to shift from print to

digital when thinking of addressing the Gulf markets.

• As there is a range of Pan-Arab TV channels with popular morning shows,

television is still important, and would be the second most important media to

reach out to travellers in the GCC.

• However, almost all broadcasts in the GCC are either state-run or controlled by

the states. Only Dubai and Abu Dhabi are free-media zones. The Qatari Al-

Jazeera also claims editorial independence and is a world-famous Arabic news

channel. Trust in media content varies across the markets and is a key issue in

this region.

2.4 Reaching the consumer: overview of the media landscape

47

Source: CIA World Fact Book, 2017 Media Use in the Middle East Research is Northwestern University in Qatar, Statista,

McKinsey’s Digital Middle East: Transforming the region into a leading digital economy, October 2016

Internet penetration rate

0%

20%

40%

60%

2009 2012 2017

Middle East Global average

Media consumption in English

16%

4%

20%

24%

8%

24%

37%

13%

41%

UAE

SaudiArabia

Qatar

Use online Listen to TV programmes Read print material


2.4 Reaching the consumer: online or traditional media?

48

Source: 2017 Media Use in the Middle East Research is Northwestern University in Qatar, MidEastMedia.org (nationals only)

* There was no official cinema theatre in Saudi Arabia until recently.

Watching films

75%86%

36%

55%49%

38%

54%

36%

UAE Saudi Arabia* Qatar

TVOnlineCinema

41%

82%

20%

53%

27% 31%

64%

44%33%

UAE Saudi Arabia Qatar

TV

Radio

Phone

29%

39%42%

25%

18%

32%


OnlinePrinted newpapers

Listening to music

Consult news daily

65% 65% 62%70%

49%41%


2014 2016

Watching TV programmes daily

36%

20%

47%

25%

18%

32%


2014 2016

Read newspapers daily

• TV is still a very popular media in the GCC,

with most films and TV programmes being

watched on TV rather than online. However,

in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, daily TV

watching has declined in recent years.

Those three markets watch mainly films

produced in the wider Arab world, followed

by US productions and then movies from

their own country. Many would also listen to

programmes in a language other than Arabic

– 49% of Saudi nationals, 46% of Emiratis

and 42% of Qataris.

• Nowadays, Emirati, Saudi and Qatari

nationals are more likely to be listening to

music on their phone rather than on the

radio or on the TV.

• In 2016 fewer nationals in Qatar, the UAE

and Saudi Arabia read their newspapers

daily compared to 2014. Checking news

online every day is now more common than

reading news on printed material. Most print

publications across the GCC also have an

online version, a dedicated website where

news is updated more frequently.


Top travel segment in the Pan Arab broadcast media• Morning shows on MBC and Al-Arabiya TV are particularly popular. MBC is one of the market leaders in all general entertainment,

news, movies, kids and drama across the Middle East, with people watching it from Morocco to Iraq daily.

• Saudi Arabia is usually the largest advertising market in the region.

• Some local Dubai TV channels have become very popular in the UAE, such as Emirates 24/7, a weekly news programme integrated

with a website, and Studio One, a daily lifestyle show in English, on Dubai One.

Newspapers and magazines across the Gulf region• Trust and reputation is a key factor of choice for reading a magazine and newspapers.

• There are two pan-Arab, Arabic-language newspapers – Al Hayat and Al Sharq Alawsat (both of which are published in the UK) –

which have a strong influence in the wider Arab world, and are regarded for a high standard of reporting and features on Arab issues.

Currently, there are no pan-Arab English language newspapers; however, the UAE’s English dailies are available in most Middle East

countries and their content is considered among the most reputable in the region.

• Most newspapers in the region have their own online edition, such as Gulf News and The National. Many new trade-specific portals are coming

online, including www.hoteliermiddleeast.com, which has quickly gained popularity for reporting breaking travel and tourism news before

appearing in its monthly publications.

• Main publishing companies in the area are Motivate, ITP Publishing and the Corporate Publishing International (CPI): • CPI has published magazines and guides across the GCC since 1987. Lonely Planet is one of its most reputable titles. It has launched a special

monthly magazine for the region: Lonely Planet Traveller Middle East.

• Under the consumer magazines English section, ITP launched Cosmopolitan Middle East magazine, and Time Out Dubai. ITP Publishing

was founded in 1987 in the UK and now publishes more than 75 weekly and monthly magazines in both English and Arabic. It also includes the

in-flight magazine of Etihad Airways. ITP has a dominant position in the Middle East media industry.

• Motivate was founded in 1979 with the launch of What's On, the first magazine in the Gulf and still one of the biggest-selling in the region. The

region’s most successful titles include Emirates Woman, Gulf Business and Identity magazines. Besides a wide range of magazines, the

company publishes books on topics related to the heritage of the Gulf, as well as travel and city guides and children's titles. “good” magazine,

launched in 2013, is a title targeted at the expatriate community to encompass all elements of life in the UAE. The publication’s 4 central pillars

of value, food, ideas, and living aim to make expatriates’ lives easier. As well as print, good will also exist online through social media and radio.

• The Arabic version of National Geographic, Business Traveller magazine, the leading magazine for the frequent business traveller,

and the luxury travel expert Condé Nast Traveller Middle East are other magazines of interest for travel trends in the region.

2.4 Reaching the consumer: main media players

49


Mobile• Mobile internet and social media channels play a significant role in reaching

international travellers in the Gulf, and social media is one of the most efficient

platforms to do so.

• All six GCC markets have a higher adoption rate than the global average. Tablets

are also quite popular. Apps should be optimised for both formats.

Social media• Due to restrictions in print press and a large youth population in the Middle East, there is

enormous scope for online resources like blogs and social media, which have seen strong

growth in recent years.

• Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the most effective media to reach out and send

messages. Arabic media’s ‘tool of choice’ is Facebook, with Facebook and Twitter favoured

by the English language media. Twitter media celebrities include Sheikh Mohammed and

Catboy (Dubai 92 FM DJ), which has helped grow the number of Twitter users in the UAE.

• Social media influencers also play a useful role, as the GCC audience follow their

leader or celebrities. The top GCC social media influencers are:1. Huda Beauty – 24.2 million followers on Instagram

2. Joelle Mardinian – 7.3 million followers on Instagram

3. Balqees Fathi – 6.6 million followers on Instagram

4. Lojain Omran – 5.8 million followers on Instagram

5. Noha Nabil – 5.0 million followers on Instagram

6. Abdulaziz Baz – 4.6 million followers on Instagram

7. Ola AlFares – 4.1 million followers on Instagram

8. Aseel Omran – 3.9 million followers on Instagram

9. Taim AlFalasi – 2.4 million followers on Instagram

10. Fouz AlFahad – 2.3 million followers on Instagram

2.4 Reaching the consumer: mobile technologies and social media

50

Source: GSMA Intelligence ‘The Mobile Economy, Arab States 2015’, TNS for the Arab Social Media Influencer Summit ‘Arab Social Media Report 2015’, IPT Live Middle East

Smartphone adoption rate (Q2 2015)

Face-

book

Whats-

app

Insta-

gramTwitter

You

Tube

Bahrain 81% 85% 51% 47% 44%

Kuwait 75% 84% 43% 41% 43%

Oman 86% 80% 40% 36% 40%

Qatar 81% 80% 43% 41% 43%

Saudi

Arabia80% 91% 43% 53% 40%

UAE 90% 82% 56% 51% 50%

Social media used by market (%)

52%

70%63%

83%

58%

83%

33%41%

Bahrain Kuwait Oman Qatar SaudiArabia

UAE ArabStates

average

Globalaverage


2.4 Reaching the consumer: influences

51

Source: VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016, base: visitors & considerers from Saudi Arabia and UAE only. Which of the following sources influenced your choice of destination? (Market scores have been adjusted

so that the sum of all influences for each market is equivalent to the global total, to enable meaningful comparisons)

Influences on destination choice

Influences Saudi Arabia UAE GCC Global total

Talking to friends / relatives / colleagues 34% 25% 30% 40%

Information from search engines [e.g. Google] 22% 18% 20% 33%

Looking at prices of holidays/flights on price comparison websites 27% 24% 26% 31%

Websites providing traveller reviews of destinations [e.g. TripAdvisor] 16% 18% 17% 30%

An accommodation provider/ hotel website 17% 17% 17% 26%

Talking to friends or family in your social network (e.g. via Facebook / Twitter) 27% 23% 25% 26%

Travel agent or tour operator website 16% 16% 16% 25%

A travel guidebook 23% 19% 22% 25%

Travel blogs / forums 19% 14% 17% 22%

A special offer or price deal you saw advertised online 23% 18% 21% 19%

Travel programme on TV 16% 16% 16% 19%

An official tourist organisation website or social media site for the country or destination 17% 23% 19% 18%

Travel agent or tour operator brochure 13% 19% 16% 18%

An official tourist brochure for the country / city / region 13% 19% 15% 17%

Direct advice from a travel agent/tour operator (face-to-face, over the phone) 17% 19% 18% 16%

A travel feature / article in a magazine or newspaper 15% 17% 16% 16%

A special offer or price deal you saw advertised offline e.g. in a newspaper, magazine or on

TV19% 24% 21% 15%

Images / information in online adverts 19% 21% 20% 15%

Images or videos your friends or family have posted to social media 23% 17% 21% 15%

Travel app 22% 16% 19% 14%

Images or videos from a photo/video sharing social network site 22% 24% 23% 14%

Articles on an online encyclopaedia e.g. Wikipedia, Wikitravel 15% 17% 16% 12%

Images / information in adverts in a magazine or newspaper 15% 18% 17% 12%

Images / information in TV adverts 15% 17% 16% 11%

Images / information on billboards / poster adverts 15% 18% 16% 9%

Seeing social media posts from celebrities talking about their holiday destinations 15% 17% 16% 9%

Information in radio adverts 10% 12% 11% 6%

Travel programme on radio 12% 11% 12% 6%


2.5 Perceptions of Britain: Saudi Arabia

52

Holiday wants and % saying destination is best place for…

Source: VisitBritain/Arkenford 2013

Importance GB FR IT AU US GE6.20 Have fun and laughter 29% 46% 37% 29% 24% 15%

6.14 Enjoy the beauty of the landscape 33% 41% 36% 50% 30% 30%

6.01 Enjoy peace & quiet 26% 37% 32% 38% 16% 24%

5.99 Be physically healthier 41% 46% 37% 40% 39% 38%

5.91 See world famous sites and places 51% 60% 54% 27% 43% 34%

5.90 The people are friendly and welcoming 32% 40% 39% 38% 33% 29%

5.87 Soak up the atmosphere 33% 34% 33% 29% 10% 17%

5.86 Explore the place 22% 37% 42% 46% 26% 24%

5.84 Experience things that are new to me 30% 35% 32% 37% 32% 24%

5.84 Feel connected to nature 25% 25% 32% 53% 28% 34%

5.82 Offers good value for money 30% 36% 36% 31% 35% 28%

5.81 Chill/ slow down to a different pace of life 21% 42% 35% 26% 25% 17%

5.81 Have dedicated time with my other half 41% 53% 48% 42% 38% 34%

5.76 Do something the children would really enjoy 38% 46% 37% 41% 48% 33%

5.74 Experience activities/places with a wow factor 34% 48% 44% 33% 42% 28%

5.74 Revisit places of nostalgic importance to me 17% 26% 29% 21% 25% 23%

5.74 A good place to visit at any time of year 34% 44% 41% 37% 40% 30%

5.73 Broaden my mind/ Stimulate my thinking 39% 42% 43% 31% 45% 36%

5.73 It offers unique holiday experiences 39% 51% 49% 44% 42% 33%

5.71 Provides a wide range of holiday experiences 40% 48% 46% 42% 48% 32%

5.69 Easy to get around by public transport 49% 46% 41% 34% 45% 39%

5.64 Enjoy high quality food and drink (gourmet food) 31% 54% 63% 26% 34% 23%

5.61 Enjoy local specialities (food and drink) 34% 56% 63% 26% 40% 26%

5.47 Experience adrenalin filled adventures 24% 40% 27% 36% 34% 28%

5.44 Visit a place with a lot of history/historic sites 40% 48% 49% 20% 19% 31%

5.35 Do what I want when I want spontaneously 28% 16% 28% 17% 46% 13%

5.35 Feel special or spoilt 27% 42% 38% 24% 33% 18%

5.35 Good shopping 32% 40% 44% 22% 44% 26%

5.33 Get off the beaten track 35% 45% 42% 34% 35% 39%

5.25 Fashionable destination 41% 59% 49% 35% 48% 36%

5.23 Do something environmentally sustainable/ green 48% 46% 47% 48% 51% 42%

5.19 Visit places important to my family's history 32% 34% 37% 26% 29% 20%

5.02 Party 38% 46% 31% 28% 42% 19%

4.99 To participate in an active pastime or sport 44% 35% 33% 35% 35% 25%

4.97 Go somewhere that provided lots of laid on entertainment/nightlife 43% 60% 52% 36% 58% 37%

4.84 Meet the locals 66% 29% 25% 29% 29% 6%

4.82 Do something useful like volunteering to help on a project 19% 26% 29% 29% 21% 16%

4.80 Meet and have fun with other tourists 48% 60% 50% 16% 49% 29%

4.79 Get some sun 18% 35% 33% 36% 31% 22%

4.46 Watch a sporting event 53% 31% 59% 24% 26% 36%


2.5 Perceptions of Britain: United Arab Emirates

53

Holiday wants and % saying destination is best place for…

Source: VisitBritain/Arkenford 2013

Importance GB FR IT AU US GE6.13 Enjoy the beauty of the landscape 41% 51% 56% 53% 39% 33%

6.09 Have fun and laughter 15% 33% 39% 35% 37% 15%

6.09 Offers good value for money 29% 32% 32% 34% 37% 26%

6.05 See world famous sites and places 47% 57% 58% 33% 45% 32%

5.99 Enjoy peace & quiet 32% 39% 42% 42% 24% 26%

5.96 Do something the children would really enjoy 37% 44% 35% 47% 54% 25%

5.94 Be physically healthier 38% 40% 35% 40% 37% 33%

5.94 The people are friendly and welcoming 33% 34% 38% 39% 39% 26%

5.94 It offers unique holiday experiences 40% 50% 49% 47% 46% 36%

5.93 Feel connected to nature 36% 41% 35% 56% 27% 27%

5.92 Explore the place 37% 33% 44% 41% 42% 17%

5.90 Experience things that are new to me 45% 46% 45% 40% 53% 39%

5.87 Provides a wide range of holiday experiences 41% 47% 45% 46% 54% 30%

5.81 Have dedicated time with my other half 38% 55% 54% 46% 38% 30%

5.80 Broaden my mind/ Stimulate my thinking 32% 42% 43% 35% 41% 30%

5.80 A good place to visit at any time of year 32% 38% 39% 39% 41% 27%

5.73 Easy to get around by public transport 51% 42% 35% 38% 51% 36%

5.71 Experience activities/places with a wow factor 34% 51% 50% 43% 52% 29%

5.68 Enjoy local specialities (food and drink) 24% 54% 62% 30% 34% 22%

5.67 Enjoy high quality food and drink (gourmet food) 33% 49% 55% 32% 41% 15%

5.53 Visit a place with a lot of history/historic sites 54% 50% 58% 23% 32% 37%

5.48 Chill/ slow down to a different pace of life 27% 34% 38% 26% 28% 18%

5.48 Revisit places of nostalgic importance to me 24% 24% 22% 27% 20% 21%

5.39 Do what I want when I want spontaneously 30% 35% 36% 34% 44% 21%

5.39 Do something environmentally sustainable/ green 20% 23% 16% 42% 31% 24%

5.31 Soak up the atmosphere 30% 43% 47% 40% 49% 39%

5.31 Good shopping 38% 42% 35% 28% 52% 31%

5.23 Feel special or spoilt 27% 36% 31% 38% 31% 33%

5.23 Visit places important to my family's history 31% 32% 34% 29% 33% 20%

5.20 Experience adrenalin filled adventures 33% 41% 38% 36% 44% 28%

5.10 Go somewhere that provided lots of laid on entertainment/nightlife 46% 53% 38% 39% 58% 31%

4.93 Party 46% 37% 36% 42% 54% 34%

4.89 Get off the beaten track 34% 39% 26% 27% 33% 26%

4.88 To participate in an active pastime or sport 25% 29% 42% 39% 39% 33%

4.88 Fashionable destination 43% 63% 54% 31% 53% 28%

4.87 Get some sun 28% 43% 40% 49% 38% 25%

4.85 Meet and have fun with other tourists 41% 50% 31% 29% 45% 34%

4.79 Meet the locals 28% 0% 36% 28% 55% 21%

4.75 Do something useful like volunteering to help on a project 32% 38% 33% 21% 26% 25%

4.54 Watch a sporting event 50% 35% 27% 26% 37% 28%


2.5 Perceptions of Britain

54

Source: VisitBritain/IPSOS 2016, base: visitors from Saudi Arabia and UAE only (Market scores have been adjusted so that the sum of all influences for each market is equivalent to the global total, to

enable meaningful comparisons)

Motivations for choosing Britain as a holiday destination

Reason why Britain was visited Saudi Arabia UAE GCC Global total

Cultural attractions e.g. historic buildings and famous sights 13% 22% 17% 42%

A wide variety of places to visit around the country 22% 17% 19% 25%

I’d never been before and wanted to go somewhere new 24% 21% 23% 23%

Possibility of visiting friends or relatives 14% 19% 16% 22%

Somewhere where they speak English 19% 10% 15% 22%

Easy to get around 15% 17% 16% 22%

Countryside and natural beauty 29% 16% 23% 22%

Vibrant cities 29% 19% 24% 22%

The ease of getting to the country 15% 17% 16% 21%

A mix of old and new 20% 14% 17% 19%

A culture that is different from our own 20% 19% 20% 19%

A good deal e.g. on flights, total holiday package 15% 28% 21% 18%

Sampling the local food and drink 19% 19% 19% 18%

Contemporary culture (e.g. music, films, art, literature) 19% 19% 19% 18%

Security / safety 15% 27% 21% 17%

Easy to get plan/organise 12% 17% 14% 16%

Accommodation – variety and quality 21% 24% 22% 16%

A wide range of holiday activities 22% 16% 19% 13%

Meeting the local people 11% 18% 14% 13%

The cost of staying in the destination (price of accommodation, food and drink) 12% 19% 15% 12%

The climate / weather 32% 22% 27% 12%

Watching sport 13% 17% 15% 10%

Visit a film or TV location 14% 14% 14% 9%

Somewhere it is easy to visit with children 14% 13% 14% 8%


Access and travel

trade

Chapter 3:

55


• Nearly all GCC visits to the UK were made by plane (96%).

• Direct seat capacity from the GCC to the UK has almost doubled in the ten years to 2017, with the rise of the national carriers as leading airlines. Over half of the direct capacity between the Gulf and the UK links Dubai, UAE to British airports.

• As the main Gulf airports developed into natural connecting hubs between the Asia Pacific area and Europe, more routes to the different nations and regions of Britain have been launched.

• When launching their holiday divisions, GCC national airlines have become even more important in Gulf markets, playing a key role in the travel trade, alongside the traditional travel agencies. The latter are mostly ticketing agencies that might have little knowledge about the destinations they sell airline tickets to. With only a few integrated, more established companies, the travel trade landscape is still very fragmented, even within each country.

• Understanding the culture of the markets and meeting in person are important to build trusting business relationships in the GCC.

56

3. Access and travel trade

Source: Apex Rdc 2016, International Passenger Survey by ONS

82%of the direct seat

capacity between the GCC markets and the

UK in 2017 was served by local airlines


3.1 Access: key facts

•All GCC visitors departing Britain by air pay £75 in Air Passenger Duty. A standard visitor visa will cost £89 and allow GCC nationals to stay up to 6 months. All visitors from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia need a visa to visit Britain. Kuwaitis, Omanis, Qataris and Emiratis can also apply for £15 electronic visa waiver for the same stay period.

•Twelve airlines fly in total from GCC to the UK, including all seven GCC flag carriers, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and seasonally Thomson Airways (flying British holidaymakers back home), as well two foreign flag carriers, Royal Brunei Airlines and Qantas.

•The latter two both use Dubai as a stopover between their countries and the UK. Because of its location, the GCC airports have become transit bases for visitors going from Asia and Oceania to Europe. This has allowed Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways in particular to develop their routes and boost capacity and regional spread to the UK, now linking on regularly scheduled routes 8 airports in GCC to 8 airports in the UK*.

•Despite facing some challenge in 2017, Qatar is still planning on launching a route from Doha to Cardiff in May 2018, adding more regional spread to the UK.

57

81% of air seat

capacity from GCC

to the UK is through

Gulf airlines

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, Apex RdC 2017 (stopping flights only).

*All direct, non-stopping routes from GCC countries to the UK, excluding routes from Madinah (used mainly by pilgrims returning

home in the UK) and Thomson Airways routes (used by British coming back home from holidays in the UAE mostly)

Measure 2017

Weekly aircraft departures 391

Weekly aircraft seat capacity 141,047

Airports with direct routes in the GCC 8

Airports with direct routes in Britain 8

Access to Britain*


3.1 Access: mode of transport

58


Visits by mode of transport

745

427

0100200300400500600700800

Vis

its

(0

00

)

Air Sea Tunnel

Annual share by mode (2016)

Share by mode per market (%) in 2014-2016

Share of visits… Air Sea Tunnel

Bahrain 97% - 3%

Kuwait 95% - 5%

Oman 98% 1% 1%

Qatar 96% 1% 3%

Saudi Arabia 97% <1% 3%

UAE 96% 1% 3%

GCC 96% 1% 3%

All markets 73% 14% 13%

96%

1% 3%

74%

14% 12%

0%

50%

100%

150%

Air Sea Tunnel

GCC All markets


3.1 Access: capacity

59

Source: Apex Rdc: non-stop flights only

Annual airline seat capacity trends Origin city annual seat capacity (2017)

52%

18%

13%

4%

4%

4%3% 3%

Dubai, UAE Doha, Qatar Abu Dhabi, UAE

Muscat, Oman Kuwait Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Bahrain Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Weekly average

seat capacity

on direct flights

to Britain

2007 2012 2017

Bahrain 5,386 4,804 4,470

Kuwait 3,828 3,931 5,191

Oman 2,015 1,619 5,460

Qatar 9,069 12,638 24,990

Saudi Arabia 4,327 8,366 8,769

UAE 48,539 61,992 92,414

GCC 73,164 93,349 141,293


3.1 Access: capacity

60

Airline seat capacity by carrier (2017)

Source: Apex Rdc: non-stop flights only

Destination airport annual seat capacity (2017)

62%16%

8%

7%

4%

2%2%

0.05%

London - Heathrow Manchester International

London - Gatwick Birmingham International

Glasgow International Edinburgh

Newcastle Other*

41%

17%

12%

11%

5%

4%

3%

2%2%

1%1% 0.2%

Emirates Qatar AirwaysEtihad Airways British AirwaysQantas SaudiaOman Air Kuwait AirwaysGulf Air Royal Brunei AirlinesVirgin Atlantic Airways Thomson Airways

*Airports with less than 1% annual seat share: London Stansted and Cardiff


• The Gulf travel trade landscape is quite fragmented. There is

not one GCC culture, and each markets has its specificities.

Getting know them in advance is well appreciated.

• Most agencies in the Gulf are quite small and operate only in

the city or area where they are based. They usually act as

ticketing offices, and many have limited knowledge of what is

on offer at the destinations they sell. However, some larger,

more established travel service companies will have

operations in multiple markets and distribute more integrated

services.

• The holiday divisions of the main Gulf carriers usually tend to

play a wholesaler role as there are only a handful of them in

the GCC.

• When liaising with partners in the Gulf markets, building a

trusting relationship is key. Visiting your counterparts in the

markets, inviting them to discover your products and

services and demonstrating a good understanding of the

markets’ culture and their differences are important to do so.

61

3.2 Travel trade: general overview

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are

in the top 3 tourism markets

in the Middle East


3.2 Travel trade landscape

62

• There are well over 6,000 travel agents and tour operators in the Middle East, of which 60% are concentrated in the three

main tourism markets: Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Each accounts for between 1,000-1,500 traveller agents. The UAE

has the main concentration of licensed travel agents: 60% of these are based in Dubai, 20% in Abu Dhabi, and the rest in

Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

• However, in the Gulf area in general, as in the UAE, the majority are small operations and are primarily ticketing agents with

a focus on airline ticket sales as their main activity, and limited product knowledge aside from that. By and large, the majority

of those travel agencies operate from a single location in their country.

• The larger, more established companies operate in multiple markets within the GCC. They tend to be part of diversified,

integrated business groups with activities in multiple areas such as trading, retail, construction, transport, logistics, etc. As a

result they are usually financially strong, and have access to some in-house businesses, and almost without any exceptions,

would be the General Sales Agent (GSA) for one or more international airlines.

• With only few GCC wholesalers, airlines and their holiday divisions tend to offer this service, with the exception of 10-15

major operators based in the region. Those also operate as retail travel agencies. A number of the largest travel

management companies are also general sales agents for international airlines, car rental and hotel groups.

• Market shows a preference for family travel, with a high emphasis on individual tailored arrangements. However, airline and

holiday packages are gaining momentum allowing customers to obtain better value. Consumers can be easily swayed on

choosing their holiday provider by even a marginal price difference. As a consequence the market tend to be highly

competitive: most agents in the region operate on high volume and low margins.

• On a smaller scale, a number of leading travel agents offer holiday packages through the year, to various destinations.

Special efforts are made to promote 2-3 night packages during short breaks such as the Eid Holidays, National Day

holidays, the New Year and other long weekends. Travel packages of 7-14 nights duration and longer are usually promoted

for summer holiday travel. Gulf travellers have shown a preference so far towards Turkey or Asia for short breaks, and

towards Europe for longer periods of time.


3.2 Where to find the trade in the markets

63

Focus on the UAE• The Abu Dhabi Travel and Tourism Agencies Committee (ATTAC), established in 2000

with the support of Civil Aviation department of this emirate, is the largest association of travel agents in the UAE, with over 250 members. Some of the Dubai travel agents have formed an organisation, the Dubai Tour and Travel Agents group, that gathers about 200 members. In the emirate of Sharjah, membership to the Sharjah Travel Agents Association (STTA) is mandatory for any travel agents operating there.

• Airlines are the main providers of holiday destination products through their holiday divisions:

• The most prominent is Emirates Holidays (EKH), a division of Emirates Airlines. Its brochure covers over 100 destinations across six continents with a variety of accommodation options. EKH is based on Sheikh Zayed Road, next to Dubai Airline Centre. Their current group handler in the UK is Interopa Holidays. With target segments of couples and singles, package inclusions are as listed on each page. Some 35,000 brochures are being printed in both English and Arabic, and distributed in all EKH source markets. Priced brochures are being produced for the UAE, KSA and Kuwait, and a generic non-priced brochure will be distributed in all other markets. Holidays and short breaks are also highlighted on www.emiratesholidays.ae.

• Etihad also set up Etihad holidays in November 2003 with the aim of creating and offering holiday packages to suit a wide range of budgets and tastes. Currently they offer a choice of over 201 hotels and 35 destinations in 17 countries.

• Several regional and international airlines also promote their destinations and packages in the UAE through travel brochures and catalogues. For example, the Exclusive Travel Group helped Qantas Airways promote luxury outbound travel to New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific to high net worth travellers based in the GCC markets.

• The largest retail travel service company in the UAE is Dnata. Its specialist leisure division, Dnata Holidays, features a wide choice of destinations and products targeted towards the expat population in the UAE.

• Apart from travel and tour operations, some agencies operate as consolidators of hotel rates in multiple destinations, whether for business or leisure. Dubai-based Destinations of the World that operates through a number of franchised offices across the Gulf and the Middle East is one of the most known example of those. Some of the larger travel agents also obtain preferential rates from hotels and other destination management companies worldwide for onward distribution through the retail travel trade.

Main players in the GCC overall

Qatar

Al Rostamani, Musafir, Tajawal from the Al

Tayyar Travel Group, Dnata, Kanoo, Al

Shamel International, Al Rais Travel

Not

based in

the

region

Kayak. Skyscanner, MakeMyTrip, Flight

Centre, Cleartrip, Expedia,

Main players in the UAE

Airline holiday divisions: Emirates Holidays, Etihad Holidays

Most prominent travel agents: Thomas Cook Al Rostamani, Orient

Travel, Kanoo Holidays, SNTTA, Al Futtaim Travel, MMI trade centre

Other: largest retail travel service company is Dnata, and largest

hotel rate consolidator is Destinations of the World

Source: Gulf News. Arabian Industry

http://www.emiratesholidays.ae/


3.2 Travel trade: some practical informationGeneral information• The GCC is not a single market: take the time to learn about

demographic differences across the regions.

• Relationship management is crucial: the GCC travel trade prefer

to do business face-to-face, it is not an email-based culture. So

it is highly recommended to have regular sales visits to the

region in order to develop rapport and trust. Inviting them to

experience your products and services first-hand is also

appreciated. It is about long-term engagement and commitment,

and building that trust above simply pushing business through.

A nice gesture would be to acknowledge key holidays in the

year (i.e. Ramadan & Eid) and to send them a greeting card –

i.e. Eid Mubarak.

• Gulf travel agents expect competitive prices, flexible payment

terms and agreement to last-minute changes. The pressure

from their own clients to satisfy every whim is very high.

Planning and contracting cycle• Key times for promotional visits to the region are February

through to late May/early June and September through

November. Avoid Ramadan, Eid holidays and the summer

period beginning end of June through to the middle of

September.

• The working week for government offices, departments and

schools in all GCC markets is Sunday through to Thursday.

Trade exhibitions• Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is universally recognised as the

travel industry event for the Middle East and the Pan-Arab

world. Serving the whole region, including GCC states,

Arabian Travel Market is the premier regional forum for

outbound tourism. It is an ideal platform to generate new

business leads, raise your company awareness and capitalise

on extensive business, networking and educational

opportunities. ATM is organised by Reed Exhibitions and

takes place at World Trade Centre, Dubai annually in the first

week of May.

• The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition

(GIBTM) is the leading event for meetings, incentives and

business travel in the GCC Region, unlocking business

potential within the Middle East for inbound and outbound

business professionals.

• Business Tourism destinations from the Middle East and

around the world showcase a diverse range of products and

services to enhance any meeting, conference, incentive or

business travel booking for corporate, association and agency

event planners and buyers. GIBTM is held every year at

ADNEC, Abu Dhabi in the last week of March.

64


65

Practical information

• Time difference: GST is the Gulf standard time, and is 4 hours ahead of Britain in winter and 3 hours ahead in the

summer (GMT +0400).

• Climate: The climate of the GCC countries generally is hot and dry. The hottest months are July and August, when

average maximum temperatures reach above 40°C. November to March is the most pleasant weather and reach between

18-30°C.

• Working days and business hours: The working week traditionally starts on Sunday and ends on Thursday. Friday and

Saturday are the official days of rest, though in the travel trade industry agencies will do shift work so 6 days a week are

covered for booking purposes. Friday is the Muslim day of prayer and rest and so scheduling meetings or making phone

calls to Muslim colleagues or clients on this day should be avoided. Office hours tend to be 0800-1900 with some

agencies still doing a split shift with a break between 1pm and 4pm.

• Transport: Getting around is relatively easy with signs in Dubai and most cities are generally in both Arabic and English,

as well as the telephone automation system allow you to choose between the two. Nevertheless once you are outside the

cities, you will find that English is not easily understood by rural people. As the Gulf population also includes a large

proportion of migrants from South Asian countries, knowledge of Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali and Tamil can be quite

useful. Taxis are a relatively cheap way to get around in most cities.

• Clothing: Do respect the culture of the country you are going to by dressing appropriately. While the UAE is more

Westernised than many other Middle Eastern countries, it is still important to dress modestly: men should wear a suit and

women ensure their clothing covers their legs and arms. In Saudi Arabia, women should also cover their head for

example.

• Visas: You may need a visa to visit some of your Gulf working relations. Please do plan in advance as for example Saudi

Arabia has just announced the launch of a tourist visa, and you will need to justify your business appointment when

applying for a Saudi visa.

3.2 Travel trade: doing business with the Gulf markets


66

Meetings & business etiquette

• Meetings should be scheduled with some extra time allocated. Attitudes to time in the GCC are much

more relaxed than in many Western cultures. People and relationships are more important than

schedules and punctuality. It is not uncommon, therefore, for your Gulf counterparts to arrive late but

foreigners are expected to be on time. Meetings are also conducted at a leisurely pace, so longer than

what you can be used to.

• Business meetings with Arab clients or colleagues are about building a personal relationship with your

counterparts and so it is common meeting start by asking about their families or some polite general

conversional topics, before talking business. Invitations to a meal or social event are also common

and should be accepted to help building trust.

• It is usual to call business relations by their first names in most cases. If unsure, it is best to get the

names and correct form of address of those you will be doing business with beforehand.

• Avoid to plan meetings during the Muslim prayer times or any of the major Islamic holidays, such as

Ramadan or Eid.

• During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, Muslims are not permitted to eat, drink or smoke

between sunrise and sunset. Muslim hospitality allows that non-Muslims may be invited to eat and

drink by their hosts, but it would be best to do so in private, as a sign of respect, with this advice also

extending to the consumption of bottled water despite heat.

• There might be other people present in the office or meeting room waiting their turn to meet with the

person you are talking to. If you are made waiting when you arrive, it is polite to greet people that may

be in the room, take a seat and accept any coffee served until it is your turn.

3.2 Travel trade: doing business with the Gulf markets


3.2 Travel trade: GCC holidays

67

National public holidays in 2018

National Holiday Date in 2018 Observance

New Year’s Day 01/01 Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE

National Sports Day 13/02 Qatar

Kuwaiti National Day and Liberation

Day25/02 – 26/02 Kuwait

March bank holiday 04/03 Qatar

Isra’a Wal Miraj/ Leilat al-Meiraj 13/04 Kuwait, UAE, Oman

May Day/ Labour Day 01/05 Bahrain

Ramadan begins 16/05 UAE

Eid-al-FitrBetween 14/06

and 18/06 TBC

Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE (3 days),

Oman, Saudi Arabia (4 days)

Renaissance Day 23/07 Oman

Hajj season begins 12/08 UAE

Arafat Day and Eid-al-AdhaBetween 20/08

and 25/08 TBC

Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait (3 days),

Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE (4 days)

Muharram/ Al-Hijira (Islamic New Year) 11/09 Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE

Ashoora 19/09 – 20/09 Bahrain

Saudi National Day 23/09 Saudi Arabia

Omani National Day 18/11 Oman

The Prophet’s Birthday 19/11 or 20/11 Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE

Commemoration Day 30/11 UAE

Emirati National Day 02/12 – 03/12 UAE

Bahraini National Day 16/12 – 17/12 Bahrain

Qatari National Day 18/12 Qatar

Source: https://www.timeanddate.com, https://www.officeholidays.com, and other official sources

• All calendars in the GCC respect days

off around the two main Muslim

celebrations: the Eid-al-Fitr (ending of

Ramadan) and the Eid-al-Adha (ending

of the Hajj), which varies in dates

according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

• Weekend runs Friday-Saturday in all

GCC countries and used to be on

Thursday-Friday.

• The paid holiday allowance varies

depending on the market:

• Bahrain: 21 days plus public

holidays

• Kuwait: 30 days plus public

holidays

• Oman: 30 days plus public

holidays

• Qatar: 15 days plus public holidays

• Saudi Arabia: 21 days plus public

holidays

• UAE: 30 days plus public holidays

https://www.timeanddate.com/

https://www.officeholidays.com/


3.3 Caring for the consumer: culture is important… and diverse

68

Getting your marketing right

• The localisation of your marketing strategy is important for this market. Developing GCC-friendly

marketing assets helps a lot in winning over that market. It extends to more than simply accurate

translation or your international marketing material. Remember to use a qualified translator, Google

translate is not recommended. Arabic-first content and using images that are relevant to the audience

are important to respect the market’s cultural sensitivity, most of all in Saudi Arabia.

• Be mindful of the type of language or images used in marketing or promotional activities. Imagery for

those markets should stay away from showing couples being too close, women with bare shoulders

or short clothing.

• There are several agencies that can help with this, who specialize in writing for visitors. It is also

worth investing in some still and moving imagery that shows GCC nationals enjoying your product.

These are likely to be used much more widely by GCC media and third parties than images of

Western customers. Word of mouth is a highly trusted and impactful communication tool, and using

local social influencers is a very effective medium to showcase your product or brand.

• However, an expensive campaign or costly print or digital artwork is not necessary as long as the

information is in places they can identify and access easily.

• Having an understanding of the norms and expectations is needed for each Gulf market. It should

include what welcome and hospitality means to them. Direct recommendations go a long way and so

a simple gesture can be a quick win.


3.3 Caring for the consumer: culture is important… and diverse

69

Cultural differences and similarities within the Gulf

• Countries are different. UAE alone is very diverse: its population is made of a majority of expats –

Indians and other Asian nationalities plus Western nationalities.

• For that reason, clichés are often misleading. For example, not all GCC visitors require halal food, as

many of them may not be Muslim. Experiencing an array of cuisine including local dishes is important

to them. And so if it is not essential that the food is halal, it might be preferable to just highlight if it

contains alcohol or pork so that they can choose for themselves. Keeping a few vegetarian options

will also be useful as many GCC expats come from Asia and may prefer that type of food.

• There are some differences between the GCC countries too. The UAE tends to be a more open

society, while other GCC countries are more traditional, and very family-focused. Trends are

changing too. Saudi Arabia is usually seen as quite conservative, though the Saudi Vision 2030 might

lead to great changes in the Saudi society with the development of domestic tourism or the re-

opening of cinemas for instance.

• GCC nationals are overall comfortable with modern technology: they are highly active on social

media, and mobile penetration in this area ranks among the highest globally. Engaging those

customers through digital content and reaching out to them on social media are key. Information

provided through mobile-friendly websites or apps is appreciated.

• Despite GCC visitors being among the top travel spenders, they still look for a competitive offer:

make any added benefits to your product or service clearly visible to add value to yours.


3.3 Caring for the consumer: hospitality tips

70

Accommodation

• As Gulf tourists often visit with their family, and sometimes their extended family, they will prefer

suites and inter-connecting rooms in hotels as they would allow the whole family to stay together,

with parents having an easier access to their children.

• Entertainment for the children is important and there is a growing interest in holiday resorts such as

Oasis, Center Parcs and Butlins, or themed entertainment parks and resorts.

• In the UK though research has shown that travellers who did not stay with friends and relatives would

more likely prefer to stay at hotels or rent a place for the time of their stay.

• Especially among nationals luxury travellers, luxury five-star hotels and high-quality rentals, such as

stately homes are highly appreciated. There is a need for privacy that is very important for that

segment. They will also value concierge services as they may need advice and support planning the

last elements of their trip such as activities, before their trip or even at destination.

• With London and Manchester being their preferred English destinations for a luxury holiday, city

centre locations are the most popular. Air conditioning in London hotels during the summer is a big

selling point.

• Staying in alternative forms of accommodation such as cottages and castles in the country can be

seen as more adventurous. Gulf travellers, especially nationals, would need to be reassured on easy

access from the place where they would stay to city centre facilities, the availability of a private car

with chauffeur, and of all modern facilities and technologies.Source: VB/Kantar Millward Brown 2017 research, IPS by ONS


3.3 Caring for the consumer: hospitality tips

71

Food and drink

• Dining in restaurants is one of the most popular activities for GCC visitors in the UK. In 2015 staying visitors in each

GCC market were more satisfied with Britain’s food and drink offer than the global average (79%): 81% of visitors from

Oman, 83% from Saudi Arabia, 87% from the UAE, 92% from Bahrain, 93% from Qatar, and 94% from Kuwait.

• Emirati and Saudi nationals would especially be aware of British baked goods, and interested in trying British cheeses.

• If visitors from the GCC may have very different profiles, they usually sleep and wake up late on holiday, which makes

lunch and dinner preferred meals. However, serving late breakfast options outside of usual times will be appreciated.

Most are used to an international type of breakfast.

• During meals, Arabs will eat meat dishes as well as drink water or fruit juices. Consuming pork and alcohol are strict

Muslim taboos so it is critical to specify which foods contain these, or having Halal options on your menu, providing

food (especially meat) made according to the Islamic method.

• Lunch is the main family meal and usually includes rice. Dinner is lighter. Both are taken late (around 2pm and 9-11pm

respectively). During Ramadan it would be appreciated if hotels could offer an iftar buffet at sunset for Muslims

breaking their fast.

• Tea (served clear, with sugar and the tea bag or leaves still in) and coffee (which is boiled in the Arabic culture) are

prominent features of Arabian life. It is considered rude to decline a coffee since the tradition of offering coffee is

symbolic of hospitality. When they have had enough tea or coffee and don't wish for a refill, they will turn the cup

upside down.

Source: VB/DEFRA’s “Food is GREAT”, IPS by ONS


3.3 Caring for the consumer

72

Language basics

English Arabic Pronunciation

Pleaseفضلكمن

لو سمحتMin fadhlak

Law samah’t

Thank you شكرا Shukran

Yes نعم Na'am

No ال La'a

Sorry!

(apology) عفوا ‘Afwan

Excuse me! اسمح لي Esma’h lee!

Sorry, I do

not speak

Arabic

عفوا ، انا ال

اتكلم العربية‘Afwan ana la

atakallam al arabiya

Language

• Arabic is the official language in the Gulf countries.

• However, English is widely spoken, especially

among the expat community and for business.

• Knowledge of language basics will always be

appreciated among Gulf visitors.

Welcome

• The Gulf high-end hotels and airlines have set new

standards in terms of hospitality. Those are what

Gulf visitors, especially luxury travellers, are used

to.

• Making guests feel welcome is very important in

the Gulf culture. In the Emirati culture, receiving

guests is an honour.

• Offering some dates and non-alcoholic beverages

on arrival is well appreciated. So would be to greet

them placing your hand on your heart, using the

‘peace upon sign’ instead of shaking hands.


3.3 Caring for the consumer: Arabic language tips

73

Language tips for arrival and departure

English Arabic Pronunciation

Hello مرحبا Marhaba

Peace be with you (common

Islamic greeting)عليكمالسالم As-salam àlaykum

… and to you peace وعليكم السالم Wa àlaykum as-salam

My name is اسميانا Ana essmee …

Welcome to Britain أهال بكم في بريطانيا Ahlan bekom fe Britania!

Pleased to meet you! يسعدني لقاءكم Yous’edonee leqa’okom!

How are you? كيف الحال؟ Keef al ‘haal?

Enjoy your visit! إقامة سعيدة Eqama sa’eeda!

Goodbye مع السالمة Ma'assalama

Did you enjoy your visit? هل استمتعت بالزيارة؟ Hal estamta’ata bel zeyarah?

Have a safe journey home توصل بالسالمة Toussal bessalamah!

Hope to see you again soon! هللا نشوفكم مرة ثانيةإن شاء Inshallah nshoufkom marra thaniya!


We can help you extend your reach

through:• Digital and social media such as through

Twitter, our Facebook page – Love GREAT

Britain, or Pinterest.

• Press and PR by sending us your newsworthy

stories or hosting our journalists and broadcast

crew

• Leisure, and the business travel trade via our

programme of sales missions, workshops and

exhibitions or promotion to our qualified

Britagents and supplier directory

• Print advertising in targeted media/Britain

supplements

• Retailing your product through the VisitBritain

shop

• Or as a major campaign partner

74

3.4 Working with VisitBritain

We are here to support you and look

forward to working with you.

To find out more browse our

opportunity search

(visitbritain.org/opportunities)

or trade website

(trade.visitbritain.com)

or contact the B2B events team

(Email: [email protected])

or campaign partnerships team


or trade support team


http://www.visitbritain.org/opportunities

http://trade.visitbritain.com/en

mailto:[email protected]




We have dedicated research and insights

available which include:

• Latest monthly and quarterly data from the

International Passenger Survey by ONS

(visitbritain.org/latest-monthly-data

visitbritain.org/latest-quarterly-data-uk-overall

visitbritain.org/latest-quarterly-data-area)

• Inbound Tourism Trends by Market

visitbritain.org/inbound-tourism-trends

• Sector-specific research

visitbritain.org/sector-specifc-research

• 2018 Inbound Tourism Forecast

visitbritain.org/forecast

• Britain‘s competitiveness

visitbritain.org/britains-competitiveness

75

3.5 Useful research resources



To find out more about the main Gulf

markets or other inbound markets browse

our markets & segments pages or

(visitbritain.org/markets-segments)

our inbound research & insights or

(visitbritain.org/inbound-research-insights)

contact us directly


https://www.visitbritain.org/latest-monthly-data

https://www.visitbritain.org/latest-quarterly-data-uk-overall

https://www.visitbritain.org/latest-monthly-data



https://www.visitbritain.org/inbound-tourism-trends

https://www.visitbritain.org/sector-specific-research

https://www.visitbritain.org/forecast

https://www.visitbritain.org/britains-competitiveness

https://www.visitbritain.org/markets-segments

https://www.visitbritain.org/inbound-research-insights



We have dedicated research and insights

available which include:

• Planning, decision-making and booking cycle of

international leisure visitors to Britain

https://www.visitbritain.org/understanding-

international-visitors

• Technology and social media

https://www.visitbritain.org/understanding-

international-visitors

• Gateways in England, insights on overseas

visitors to England's regions, participation in

leisure activities, multi-destination trips and

more

visitbritain.org/visitor-characteristics-and-

behaviour

76

3.5 Useful market-specific research resources



To find out more about the main Gulf

markets or other inbound markets browse

our markets & segments pages or

(visitbritain.org/markets-segments)

our inbound research & insights or

(visitbritain.org/inbound-research-insights)

contact us directly


https://www.visitbritain.org/understanding-international-visitors

https://www.visitbritain.org/understanding-international-visitors

https://www.visitbritain.org/visitor-characteristics-and-behaviour

https://www.visitbritain.org/markets-segments

https://www.visitbritain.org/inbound-research-insights



Individual inbound

market overviews

Appendix:

77


Market overview: Bahrain

78

Key statistics (2016) Connectivity (2017) Visitor profile (2014-2016)

22

30

34

27

20

31

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Visits (000s)

37

48

77

56

29

72

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Spend (£m)

37%

43%

10%

2% 8%

Journey purpose (% visits,

2014-2016)

Holiday

VFR

Business

Study

Misc.

Regional spread (2014-2016) Visitors’ nationality (% visits)

1% 2%

40%

57%

Scotland Wales London Rest OfEngland

Sh

are

of

nig

hts

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Departing seats

Bahraini 48%

Other GCC 3%

British 30%

Other

nationalities20%

In 2017

Departure airport Bahrain International

Arrival airport London Heathrow

4%

10%

24%

26%

21%

11%

2%

Visitors’ age (% visits)

0 -15 16-24 25-34 35-4445-54 55-64 65+

Source: International Passenger Survey by ONS, Apex (direct,

non-stopping routes only), *seasonal flights are not represented


Market overview: Kuwait

79


71

66

128

102

104

112

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Visits (000s)

207

273

504

439

302

222

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Spend (£m)

64%

19%

6%

1% 10%


2014-2016)

Holiday

VFR

Business

Study

Misc.


1% 3%

70%

27%


Sh

are

of

nig

hts

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Departing seats

Kuwait 85%

Other GCC 0.5%

British 5%

Other

nationalities9%

In 2017

Departure airport Kuwait International

Arrival airportsLondon Heathrow,

London Stansted

4%

13%

29%26%

19%

6%

2%


0 -15 16-24 25-34 35-4445-54 55-64 65+




Market overview: Oman

80


18

20

22

24

29

36

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Visits (000s)

35

39

99

31

53

48

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Spend (£m)

32%

41%

10%

9%

8%


2014-2016)

Holiday

VFR

Business

Study

Misc.


3%7%

18%

68%


Sh

are

of

nig

hts

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Departing seats

Omani 60%

Other GCC 1%

British 24%

Other

nationalities16%

In 2017

Departure airport Muscat - Seeb

Arrival airports London Heathrow, Manchester

7%

15%

22%21%

25%

7%

3%


0 -15 16-24 25-34 35-4445-54 55-64 65+




Market overview: Qatar

81


42

46

70

59

76

82

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Visits (000s)

88

86

221

130

163

163

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Spend (£m)

41%

41%

10%

1%7%


2014-2016)

Holiday

VFR

Business

Study

Misc.


9%

3%

43% 43%


Sh

are

of

nig

hts

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Departing seats

Qatari 42%

Other GCC 1%

British 34%

Other

nationalities24%

In 2017

Departure airport Hamad International

Arrival airportsLondon Heathrow, Manchester,

Edinburgh, Birmingham

7%

8%

29%

27%

20%

8%

1%


0 -15 16-24 25-34 35-4445-54 55-64 65+




Market overview: Saudi Arabia

82


105

111

126

144

147

152

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Visits (000s)

260

260

322

365

556

360

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Spend (£m)

53%

23%

12%

4% 7%


2014-2016)

Holiday

VFR

Business

Study

Misc.


2% 3%

44%50%


Sh

are

of

nig

hts

0

100,000

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Departing seats

Saudi 68%

Other GCC 1%

British 17%

Other

nationalities14%

In 2017

Main departure airports Jeddah, Riyadh

Arrival airportsLondon Heathrow,

Manchester

5%

10%

23%

28%

22%

10%

2%


0 -15 16-24 25-34 35-4445-54 55-64 65+




Market overview: United Arab Emirates

83

Key statistics Connectivity Visitor profile (2014-2016)

241

256

304

260

347

365

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Visits (000s)

254

467

610

437

487

566

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Spend (£m)

29%

47%

18%

1%5%


2014-2016)

Holiday

VFR

Business

Study

Misc.

6%6%

28%

29%

21%

8%

2%


0 -15 16-24 25-34 35-4445-54 55-64 65+


10%4%

53%

46%


Sh

are

of

nig

hts

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Departing seats

Emirati 17%

Other GCC 1%

British 48%

Other

nationalities33%

In 2017

Main departure

airportsDubai, Abu Dhabi

Main arrival

airports

London Heathrow & Gatwick,

Manchester, Edinburgh,

Birmingham, Glasgow, Newcastle




Market and

Trade Profile: GCC

Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

and UAE

February 2018

Documents

Market and Trade Profile: GCC€¦ · visiting friends and relatives (VFR). However, the importance of VFR is skewed towards the high proportion of UK expats’ visits. • Over 40%