Britain is highlighting the huge opportunities Gulf visitors offer to the country’s tourism industry as the numbers and spend from the GCC states surge, and urging the sector to adapt products to suit their needs.
The GCC counted among the regions that showed double-digit growth last year, according to figures revealed by VisitBritain at the ExploreGB travel mart held in Liverpool, UK, last month. That is not all: visitors from the Gulf also figured among the highest spenders in the country, with three of the GCC states ranking among the top five spenders per visit.Visitor numbers from the GCC rose 18 per cent in the first nine months of 2015 to 575,000 visits compared to the same period in 2014, Richard Nicholls, head of research and forecasting, said. Visitors from the Gulf spent £1.3 billion ($1.84 billion) in the first nine months of 2015, up six per cent on the previous year.Visit from the UAE went up 32 per cent in the first nine months of 2015 to 273,000 and spend up three per cent to £378 million ($534.2 million). Although visits from Saudi Arabia were down three per cent to 116,000, spending rose 44 per cent to £466 million ($658.5 million). In terms of spending, according to figures revealed by Nicholls, visitors from three of the GCC countries – Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia – ranked among the top five big spenders in the UK. Against a base average of £636 ($898) per visit for all markets, Kuwaitis spent £4,317 ($6,100), Saudis £2,527 ($3,570), and Emiratis spent £1,682 ($2,376).Speaking to TTN on the sidelines of the event, Patricia Yates, director strategy and communications at VisitBritain, enthused: 'The Gulf is really important to us… they spend so much!'In view of the surging visitor numbers from the region, she said VisitBritain has reviewed its strategy for the region. 'When we last looked at our strategy, one of the surprises was the strength of the growth in the region, especially Saudi Arabia, projected through to 2020. We have completely changed our Gulf strategy and at the bedrock of that is the strong relationship we have with the airlines in the region including Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines and we are working with them to extend our impact in those markets,' she said.While the Gulf traveller is essentially London-centric, the organisation has been making efforts to promote the rest of the country and make it more accessible, while highlighting the fact that 'great shopping, halal food and five-star hotels' do exist outside London, Yates remarked.London Plus is one of the programmes that draws on the excellent connectivity that Gulf airlines offer, , she added.VisitBritain feeds in the market intelligence and customer knowledge to suppliers in the UK who can then offer custom packages to buyers in the Gulf region. It is events such as ExploreGB that put the buyer and the supplier together to provide what the market requires, she pointed out.'As we firm up our strategies for the next year, we need to look at how we can create awareness across Britain of what the Gulf visitor wants and how we can educate the travel trade here about the huge opportunities the Gulf visitors offer and adapt their products to deliver that,' she concluded.VisitBritain has a presence in the UAE and is planning to expand into Saudi Arabia.