The Middle East accounts for 5% of the world's wedding destinations
Data released by Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, revealed that the size of the destination wedding sector has exceeded $90 billion globally, noting that about 25% of weddings now take place abroad, amounting to up to 340,000 weddings each year.
The report, prepared by international commercial real estate firm Colliers International, the official research partner of Arabian Travel Market, indicated that in the Middle East, the wedding market is worth more than $4.5 billion, making up about 5% of the global wedding market.
The UAE was the most preferred destination for holding this type of celebration due to visa facilitation, ease of travel, a suitable climate year-round, enchanting beaches, tranquil mountain ranges and stunning scenery, according to the "Saudi Gazette" website.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East at Arabian Travel Market, said: "Wedding tourism is one of four key trends that will shape the hospitality sector in the Middle East, and it will also affect the global travel and tourism industry and the behavior of individuals and consumers, as 2020 and the years that follow arrive."
She added: "Weddings held abroad now play a key role in the overall growth of the hospitality industry worldwide, and also have a positive impact on the growth of local economies, as couples seek a unique and personal experience outside their home countries."
In the same context, the report indicated that eco-tourism, wellness tourism, adventure tourism and agritourism have also emerged as trends in the hospitality sector, especially among environmentally conscious individuals. According to Colliers, about 70% of travelers around the world prefer to book and stay at eco-friendly places, with nearly 52% of them willing to change their holiday behavior in line with sustainability.
Today's travelers have also become more attuned to the environmental impact of tourism, and are looking for destinations that offer them "sustainable accommodation", so to speak, and new experiences such as glamping, a form of camping that combines traditional components but with more luxurious facilities and accommodation.
Curtis commented on this point, saying that glamping has gained increasing popularity in the Middle East in recent years, due to the abundance of natural landscapes and the opening of many amazing tourism sites across the UAE, Oman and Jordan, including the "Sedr Trailers Hatta" resort, the "Bedouin Oasis Camp" in Ras Al Khaimah, the "Desert Nights Camp" in Oman and the "Wadi Rum Luxury Camp" in Jordan.
Other future forecasts point to the growth of solo travel and women's tourism, as searches for solo travel packages rose 17.4% in 2018 compared with 2017, and the concept of solo travel has become familiar to society, prompting hotel owners and tour operators to eliminate single supplements to meet the needs of this growing market.
Data published by Colliers showed that 58% of millennials have a passion for solo travel, compared with 47% of baby boomers. Interestingly, about 74% of solo travel enthusiasts were women who prefer to travel alone and share their experiences and stories on social media, especially on Instagram, which is currently a source of inspiration for this type of trip.
Curtis added: "Women make up about 40% of global wealth, which has greatly helped encourage more of them to travel alone in recent years, while female travelers tend to choose travel destinations based on adventure, discovering new cultures, relaxation and cooking, as well as visiting destinations as part of volunteer programs or to learn new skills."
Arabian Travel Market is considered one of the most prominent events in the travel and tourism sector in the Middle East and North Africa, according to leading specialists in the sector, as the 2019 edition welcomed about 40,000 travel, tourism and hospitality professionals from 150 countries. The exhibition also saw the participation of more than 100 new exhibitors and recorded the largest participation in its history from Asia, and it is expected to be held from April 19 to 22, 2020.
