Hotelier Middle East – May 2019

BULLETIN

6 HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST | May 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 05

REPORT Arabian Travel Market’s

research partner Colliers

International revealed that the

number of local tourist trips inside

Saudi Arabia exceeded 47 million

in 2018. The latest research from

Colliers forecasts this figure to

increase 8% a year to 70.5 million

by the year 2023.

The rise in domestic tourism

coincides with Saudi’s Vision

2030 initiative, a project designed

to boost culture, leisure and

entertainment facilities in the

region. According to the Arabian

Travel Market, Vision 2030 is

setting aside $64bn for the

Kingdom of Saudi Aarbia.

The Arabian Travel Market’s

exhibition director for the Middle

East, Danielle Curtis, said: “Plans

are already afoot in Saudi, to

achieve the projected increase

in domestic visitors, with the

Kingdom’s Vision 2030 blueprint

OPINION Speaking at the Arabian

Hotel Investment Conference

in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, Lund

offered his perspective of the

Saudi Arabian corporate hotel

market.

He explained to Hotelier

Middle East that hotels in

Saudi Arabia’s major cities,

such as Riyadh and Jeddah,

are frustrated with its leisure

tourists not being able to

forecast to double the number

of UNESCO heritage sites and

increase household spending

on cultural and entertainment

activities inside the country from

2.9% to 6%.

“resonate” with its room

designs.

“For the big cities, one key word

I would mention is the trend for

more edgy and unique hotels,”

said Lund. “I understand why

some hotels are complaining

why they are not being able to

attract any leisure tourists, even

the domestic ones, because

the hotels are built as a pure

corporate vanilla concept.”

She added: “Meanwhile, the

Quality of Life Vision Realisation

Programme (VRP) and the

General Entertainment Authority

are both working to create new

attractions and recreational

Saudi Culture Minister Prince

Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan

recently announced new

initiatives to improve the hotel

and tourism markets.

In terms of future outlook for

Saudi Arabia’s hotel supply,

Lund predicted that Saudi

Arabia will introduce “edgy”

and “unique” hotel concepts in

the next 2-5 years.

activities within the country.”

In terms of international arrivals,

additional data from Colliers

predicted an increase of 5.6% a

year from 17.7m in 2018 to 23.3m

in the year 2023.

Saudi Arabia domestic tourism

to rise by 8% a year until 2023

Saudi Arabia hotel supply is ‘unique’,

says Colliers International’s head

Colliers International revealed that the number of local tourist

trips inside Saudi Arabia exceeded 47 million in 2018

Colliers International’s head of hotels for the MENA region, Christopher

Lund, has described the Saudi Arabia hotel supply as “unique” and

should explore further opportunities for “edgy” hotels.

Local tourist trips inside

Saudi Arabia exceeded 47

million in 2018

Colliers International’s Christopher
Lund offers his perspective on the Saudi
Arabian hotel market

Focus on Saudi Arabia