DEMAND for European destinations rose by 45 per cent in August among Middle East travellers compared to the same period last year, according to a study by leading price comparison site HotelsCombined. London (UK), Paris (France) and Frankfurt (Germany) featured within travellers’ top five destinations alongside Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Dubai (UAE).
Middle East travellers were also found to be spending substantially more per booking in these destinations than the global average. This was particularly evident in London, where the average stay value was 71 per cent higher for Middle Eastern consumers at Dh12,443 ($3,388) over the global average of Dh3,609 ($982) Paris came second for Middle East travellers in terms of expenditure with an average stay value of Dh6,614($1,800), followed by Dubai at Dh4,962 ($1,351).
In terms of popularity, the affluent London neighbourhood of Marylebone was by far the most-searched area for Middle Eastern travellers for the second year in a row, likely due to its proximity to attractions such as Hyde Park and for its abundance of high-end hotels including The Montcalm and The Churchill Hyatt Regency. In Paris, bookings for hotels along the Champs-Elysees strip – home to the famed Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde – attracted the most interest among Mideast online users.
Overall, HotelsCombined noted that hotels change their rates based on season and that prices will generally spike when demand starts to increase.