Research undertaken by ForwardKeys, which analyses more than 17 million flight booking transactions a day, has revealed reduced travel growth in the Middle East during the first 10 months of the year. International arrivals grew just 1% in the period January 18-October 18, compared with the equivalent period last year.
The appeal of the Middle East to travellers from the Asia Pacific has been sliding even though business at Dubai International Airport continues to boom.
Research undertaken by ForwardKeys, which analyses more than 17 million flight booking transactions a day, has revealed reduced travel growth in the Middle East during the first 10 months of the year. International arrivals grew just 1% in the period January 18-October 18, compared with the equivalent period last year.
A slowdown in travel to Saudi Arabia and the ongoing blockade of Qatari airspace by its neighbours contributed significantly to the downturn.
Arrivals from the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe grew by 5.6%, 3.0% and 2.6% respectively but they fell 2.5% from Africa and the Middle East.
Air traffic to Saudi Arabia and Qatar were down 2% and 7% respectively.
Dubai, the world’s busiest airport, has continued to grow its share of the ‘transfer’ market, to the detriment of Abu Dhabi as well as Qatar, and it has been successful in continuing to attract visitors who stay overnight in the destination too.
The airport that competes with Dubai most successfully is Istanbul. By visitor arrivals, it is around two thirds the size of Dubai but it has seen a 31% surge in visitors staying overnight, as concerns about security, dating back to an attack on the airport in 2016, have receded.
Bookings for the Middle East in the next two months are 2.4% behind where they were at the same point last year.
The cause of this slowdown is bookings from Asia Pacific, which are 11.1% behind where they were at the equivalent point last year.
The Asia Pacific setback is due particularly to Pakistan, from where bookings are 35.4% behind. Bookings from Australia are 19.1% behind and from Indonesia, 11.8% behind.
From mid-April to the end of May next year, Dubai will close one of its runways for upgrade work. This has prompted airlines to cut their seat capacity by 22% during the period. By contrast airlines are planning to increase capacity to Doha and Istanbul but decrease it to Abu Dhabi.