I WAS watching a Greek flag-waving tourist guide leading a group of rubber neckers into the inner sanctums of one of the Gulf’s most modern shopping malls when I realised the expectations and needs of visitors are changing radically the world over.
Changes which can prove profitable for clever travel agents.
In days gone by, there would not have been enough Greek visitors to fill a car, never mind a bus and the best they could have hoped for would have been a salutary stop at the souk.
If they were lucky they could take a few photographs of the spices, wonder if the dishdashes and abayas could be bought by tourists and gaze at the pots and pans in dismay, though occasionally there was an antique coffee pot to be found.
But these Greeks had no such worries. They were heading for stores like Zara, Benneton and Massimo Dutti or perhaps the boutiques selling Rolex and Tag Heuer watches.
Of course, the builder merchants of the Gulf have included modern souks in many of the malls but here photographs and paintings on sale are the only reminders of yesteryear.
Who would have envisioned, even 20 years ago, that shopping would be an integral part of any sightseeing tour? But then the sleepy Gulf towns have become 21st century cities and visitors flock here to see the new Arabia.
It’s almost an oxymoron to talk about culture in the desert, yet cities liked Abu Dhabi are now creating unique museums such as the Guggenheim and Louvre.
Dubai is sometimes known as the ‘bling bling’ centre of the Middle East with the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, drawing visitors from all over the globe.
And who would have dreamed that the Gulf would attract tourists to watch Formula One Grand Prix races, international cricket matches and top class rugby games?
Sometimes the ever-changing architecture and the different types of visitors can blind inbound travel agents to the fact that the vast majority of tourists come for the ‘Big S’s’ – sand, sea, swimming, sailing, surfing, skiing(water and sand and snow in Dubai).
But there has been a sea-change around the globe, with more well-off and adventurous tourists seeking off-beat and unorthodox destinations to replace the legacy resorts.
And the outbound expat and national traveller is also seeking new fields. True, the traditional attractions, in the UK for example, are still popular but more and more people are leaving the capital cities for attractions like Jorvik, the Viking City in York. Ditto France, the US, Africa and Asia.
Ecotourism has become big business. In Stockholm, for example, many visitors want to see Kungenshuset which is heated by the body heat from the 250,000 people who pass through the nearby central station every day.
Expats and nationals are asking about holidays in Greenland and Iceland, to see the disappearing glaciers, or flying to South Africa to watch whales.
Suddenly the travel agent has to be a cross between an intrepid explorer, a conservationist and a fashion expert.
Examples of questions faced by today’s travel agent include ‘Is the volcano still erupting in Iceland?’ ‘How high are the balloons above the wildlife in Africa?’ and ‘Can we go white water rafting in Canada?’
Yes, times they are a’changing, but this is where the travel agent regains his/her rightful place at the forefront of new vacations. There are fresh markets out there for honeymooners who want to go hang gliding and retirees who want to try scuba diving.
For their part, travel agents have to travel more to experience firsthand these new attractions, they need to surf the web and look at Facebook and YouTube to be aware of the latest crazes and, after all this, they should not forget the Big S’s.
Speaking Out
By Jonna Simon