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Trump effect dampens ME tourism to the US

DUBAI, November 13, 2016

A survey of Middle Eastern tourists by Irhal.com – a leading Arabic/English travel website and app - shows that travellers from the Middle East are now wary of going to the US for a holiday.

With threats of banning Muslims and increased hate crimes against minorities, the survey showed that close to 1 million Arab travellers are now looking at alternative destinations for their winter vacation.

According to the latest US Department of Commerce statistics, 1.3 million tourists from the Middle East visited the US last year and spent upwards of $8.5 billion. The average Middle East tourist spent $6,731 vs $3,655 spent by a European tourist in the US. With tourists from the Middle East spending 84 per cent more than European tourists, the US needs to make a concerted effort to encourage tourism from the region.

If only 15,000 tourists from the Middle East decide against travelling to the US this winter there will be a drop of $100 million in tourism revenue for the US. This will affect not only hotels and restaurants but will also have an impact on theme parks, taxis and even bellhops. The UN World Tourism Organization statistics reveal that one out of 11 jobs in the world depend on tourism.

According to Irfan Ahmad, CEO of Irhal: “No US city is currently in the top 10 destinations that Irhal’s 1.5 million users wish to visit. Los Angeles, which was No. 8 last year, has now dropped to No.20.” A post election analysis of Irhal visitor behaviour shows that Nairobi, Athens, The Maldives and New Delhi are likely to see a surge in winter travellers from the Middle East.

Irhal.com is a leading Arabic/English travel website and mobile app with over 1.5 million users across the Middle East. It has city guides for 90+ cities that include information on tourist attractions, shopping and hotels as well as GPS enabled maps showing Halal restaurants, mosques and prayer timings for each city. - TradeArabia News Service
 




Tags: US | travellers | arab | Trump | Middle | East |

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