The Middle East has reported a significant increase in travel activity in the first three months of the year with inbound travel jumping 20 per cent and outbound travel going up 25 per cent compared to Q1 2015, a new report has shown.

Tourico Holidays, a global leader in wholesale travel brokerage, shared first-quarter data which identified the Middle East as a region of emphasis, signing agreements with new distribution clients and hotel suppliers in key markets.

“With additional flight routes, iconic attractions, and new hotels popping up throughout the Middle East, we see a market that has tremendous room for growth – unmatched by few regions throughout the world,” said Jonathan Ming, director of Middle Eastern and African Product for Tourico Holidays. “In an effort to help fulfill the region’s potential, we’re making a strong push to sign new hotel contracts and add local resources intended to help our current distribution partners succeed.”
 
According to Tourico’s hotel booking data, the top source market for the Middle East is China with a 300 per cent year-over-year growth. China is followed by the UK, the US, India, and the UAE.
 
Tourico Holidays contracts directly with travel suppliers, brokering product to over 4,500 distribution clients throughout the world. The global company has partnerships with some of the largest travel providers in the Middle East and Africa – including Rotana Hotels, Jumeirah Group, Protea Hotels, Hyatt, and Hilton.  Currently, Tourico has over 850 supplier contracts in the Middle Eastern region – selling more than 4,250 room nights per day.
 
Thirteen of Tourico’s hotel contracts in the Middle East are “Exclusive Deals” agreements, or pre-purchased hotel room blocks, guaranteeing distribution clients discounted rates of up to 60 per cent off of retail. Ramada Abu Dhabi Corniche, a four-star hotel in the UAE capital, is the newest Exclusive Deal in the region.  In Dubai, Tourico has Exclusive Deals at the Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, and Rose Rayhaan by Rotana.
 
To facilitate sales, Tourico is also working closely with existing partners – like Dnata B2B, one of the world’s largest air services providers – to strengthen and diversify their offering.  Dnata will now sell from Tourico’s hotel inventory in 2016 – and Tourico continues to look for additional distribution partners in the region.
 
“By pre-purchasing large hotel room blocks in the Middle East, we can ensure that our hotel suppliers have guaranteed revenue and our distribution clients have access to the nicest rooms in the region, at locked-in, unbeatable prices,” said Ming.
 
Tourico Holidays has a strong local presence, with a Dubai office in the Alwadi Building, and the company plans to double the amount of personnel on the ground by the end of 2016.  To accommodate the influx, Tourico will upgrade to a larger office in Business Bay, Dubai, later this year.
 
Tourico Holidays will be exhibiting at Booth TT1650 in Hall 1 Sheikh Saeed at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai from April 25th to the 28th.  Hoteliers, travel suppliers, and distribution companies are encouraged to stop by the exhibit to learn more about the company and its growth in the Middle Eastern region. - TradeArabia News Service