4 out of five UAE residents plan to travel in coming months

Four out of five people will travel for leisure in the coming months with Asia-Pacific region becoming the most popular destination, according to the latest findings of a MasterCard survey.

Around 79 per cent of UAE residents are set to travel for leisure in the coming months, a 9 per cent increase from the 2011 results. 71 per cent of residents plan to increase or maintain their levels of leisure travel when compared to the previous year, which is 6 per cent higher than the 2011 findings, it said.

UAE residents indicated that they are most likely to travel to Asia-Pacific in the coming months, with 47 per cent of respondents aiming to travel to these markets. Asia-Pacific remains the most popular destination for UAE travellers, though fewer UAE residents are planning trips to the region as compared to 2011 (55 per cent). This is followed by Middle East & Africa (43 per cent) and Europe (10 per cent) as the next most popular destinations. Interestingly, 3 per cent more respondents are planning to travel within the Middle East than in 2011.

In terms of international destination countries India led the pack once more, with 29 per cent of UAE residents aiming to travel there in the coming months. The United Kingdom (10 per cent) and Malaysia (10 per cent) were also high on the list of destinations for UAE travelers. While Malaysia was also a key destination market in 2011, the United Kingdom did not feature in 2011’s top ten destination markets, marking a new trend.

In terms of domestic travel, UAE respondents indicated that Fujairah (41 per cent) remains a popular destination, followed by Abu Dhabi (39 per cent) and Ras Al Khaimah (32 per cent).

With respect to inbound travel, the UAE continues to be a popular destination of choice for GCC residents. In Oman, of those inclined to travel internationally, 42 per cent are likely to travel to the UAE in the near future, a substantial increase from 2011’s score of 35 per cent.This is followed by Qatar (32 per cent), Kuwait (20 per cent) and KSA (13 per cent), which also featured as top origin countries for the UAE in 2011.

“It is encouraging to see that a great number of UAE residents plan to travel internationally in the coming months. This is a reflection of the market’s healthy consumer confidence levels, and certainly bodes well for the travel industry. At the same time, the UAE remains a very attractive destination for leisure travelers from around the globe. In fact, the recent MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index ranks Dubai 8th globally in terms of expected inbound international visitors in 2012, while Abu Dhabi is the world’s fourth fastest growing destination city by international visitor numbers,” said Eyad Al-Kourdi, UAE country manager, MasterCard Worldwide.

Other UAE highlights

Over the last year, 79 per cent of UAE respondents travelled internationally for leisure, while 50 per cent travelled locally for vacation, marking an increase of 7 per cent for international travel and a decrease of 7 per cent for domestic travel as compared to 2010.

With regard to business travel, 11 per cent of UAE residents travelled abroad and 9 per cent travelled domestically over the last year. Business travel has decreased since the last survey, when 21 per cent of residents travelled internationally in the previous year, and 19 per cent travelled locally.

Among the respondents travelling by airlines, national airlines remained the most popular (47 per cent), followed by budget carriers (37 per cent) and international carriers (33 per cent). Interestingly, budget carriers have seen an increase of 23 per cent in popularity since 2011.

UAE travellers were most likely to stay at luxury hotels (41 per cent) during their business travels, while almost half (42 per cent) of respondents preferred to stay with friends/relatives when travelling for leisure. Luxury hotels have witnessed a 22 per cent increase in popularity for business trips since the last survey.

UAE travellers enjoy shopping at airports, with 79 per cent of residents indicating that they have purchased items at an airport during their travels in past months. Edible items (53 per cent) and cosmetics/fragrances/personal care (26 per cent) remain the most popular purchases at airports, followed by books/magazines (20 per cent).

UAE residents are keen to find the best travel deals, and indicated that airline websites (76 per cent) are the most popular outlet to find a bargain. Travel agents (55 per cent) remain popular for bargain-hunters, and some travelers also look for deals in newspapers (12 per cent). Social media (7 per cent) and coupon sites/apps (3 per cent) lag behind when it comes to finding travel deals.

Not surprisingly, 90 per cent of UAE residents cite their mobile phone as their must-have travel gadget, while 9 per cent won’t leave home without their laptop. One percent must have their MP3 device with them during their travels.

Cash emerges as the most popular payment choice for UAE travellers in relation to expenses under $100 (59 per cent), transportation (50 per cent) and accommodation (38 per cent).

Credit cards are the second most popular method of payment for UAE travellers in relation to the purchase of products over US$100 (41 per cent), transportation (37 per cent) and   accommodation (34 per cent). Debit/ATM cards are the least preferred by UAE travelers for all categories. It is worth noting that 11 per cent fewer respondents prefer to pay for accommodation with cash as compared to the previous survey conducted a year ago.

Middle East findings

Across the Middle East, consumers from Kuwait (82 per cent) top the list when it comes to the percentage of consumers aiming to travel for leisure internationally in the coming months. They are followed by consumers in UAE (79 per cent), Qatar (77 per cent), Oman (52 per cent), KSA (43 per cent), Lebanon (19 per cent) and Egypt (14 per cent). Kuwait’s top ranking this year takes the place of Saudi Arabia’s position in 2011.

Budget carriers have gained some presence in the Middle East in the last year, with the majority of consumers in Kuwait and Oman and substantial proportions in other markets using this mode of air travel in past months. National airlines were the most used airlines in the other Middle East countries surveyed.

Purchases at airports remained popular in the region, with around 75 per cent of Middle East air travelers making purchases in the last year. In general, edible items (45 per cent), cosmetics/ fragrance (32 per cent) and cigarettes/ tobacco (21 per cent) are the most popular categories.

The latest survey was conducted between April and June 2012 with respondents aged 18 – 64 in 25 markets . Data collection was via internet surveys, personal, telephone and Computer Aided Telephone interviews, with the questionnaire translated to the local language wherever appropriate and necessary.

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