Middle East tourists to US to rise by 4%

The number of travellers from the Middle East and Africa to the United States is forecast to increase by four per cent between 2000 and 2010, according to the statistics released by the US Government in May.

While figures from a Tourism Economics report "US Inbound Travel Forecasts" reveal that travel from the region to the US grew 11.4 per cent between 2007 and the previous year.

The report released by the US Department of Commerce projects a 6.3 per cent increase in travel between 2007 and 2008.

Meanwhile, the US Office of Travel & Tourism Industries last year forecast that visitors to the United States from the Middle East alone would jump nearly 24 per cent between 2006 and 2011. An estimated 700,000 travellers from the Middle East are expected to visit the US by 2011, up from 553,00 visitors in 2006.

Hotel chains across the US are said to be competing to capitalise on the expected increase in Middle Eastern visitors by offering competitive rates and summer promotions. "Contrary to popular belief, increasing numbers of visitors from the region are continuing to travel to the US.

The US remains an ideal holiday spot for many Arab travellers," Thierry Bertin, Vice-President of sales and marketing for Southwest Asia at Hyatt International, said in a statement yesterday.

However, figures from a Department of Commerce report released last year show the number of Middle Eastern visitors to the US dropped 12 per cent between 2000 and 2007, falling the lowest – by 25 per cent – between 2001 and 2002.