Looking ahead into the Middle East travel market

As leisure travel returns to its new normal, the Middle East is poised for a bright future. Overall, the region's response to the challenges that hit the travel industry have been successful.

According to Phocuswright’s latest travel research report Middle East Travel Market Report 2021-2025, well-defined tourism strategies, investments in mega projects, development of premium aviation hubs and organization of world-class events are some of the main features that are shaping the future of travel and tourism in the Middle East.

A kingdom with potential: Saudi Arabia is gearing to become a new tourism powerhouse in the region. Thanks to its Vision 2030 project, the kingdom has focused on opening up to the world and has planned investments worth $810 billion in cultural, leisure and entertainment projects over the next decade. 

Drive for sustainable tourism: Several destinations in the Middle East are developing tourism projects with sustainability at their core. According to a recent set of global rankings, when it comes to sustainable tourism in the region, Jordan tops the list, with Oman coming in second. 

All eyes on FIFA World Cup: Qatar will not be the only country in the Middle East to benefit from the rush of soccer fans. The Gulf country will only provide 130,000 rooms for travelers, according to a statement from Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy - lacking the capacity to accommodate an expected 1.5 million visitors. As a result, neighboring countries such as the UAE, Bahrain and Oman are preparing to host the remaining visitors. 

Focus on flexibility: Since 3Q21, hotels in the Middle East that offer free cancellation and date change options are capturing the largest number of bookings.

The Middle East Travel Market Report 2021-2025 provides a comprehensive view of the Middle East travel market, including detailed market sizing and projections, distribution trends, analysis of major travel segments, key developments and more.