Online travel bookings fell by 64% in the Middle East during 2020 - a signal that the region faired somewhat better than others around the world.
Domestic bookings played a notable role in keeping the sector's efforts afloat, alongside the implementation of a number of programs in key travel hubs such as Dubai.
These are some of the findings from the latest Phocuswright Travel Market Report for the Middle East, published this month and covering the period 2020-2024.
The market sizing report covers the impact of the pandemic in the region and looks at how the region is expected to see strong improvement in tourism indicators by the third quarter of this year.
A return to pre-pandemic levels could occur in some sectors by 2023.
PhocusWire spoke to the lead author of report, Shadi Kaddoura, to learn more about some of the major findings in the report and what some of the region's cities, countries and brands are doing to work through their recovery strategies.
The full discussion with PhocusWire's Kevin May is included below.
Research Spotlight - Middle East travel report and recovery progress
Middle East Travel Market Report 2020-2024
The report is FREE for existing Phocuswright Open Access subscribers.