UAE tourism benefits from crises in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria
Posted on 06 February 2011 with no comments from readers
Last week this correspondent suddenly received a visit in Dubai from a former colleague who should have been holidaying in Sharm Al Sheikh but whose Air France ticket was rapidly converted to offer him an instant flight anywhere in the Middle East.
Apparently this is not an isolated incident. Arabianbusiness.com today reports that Dubai hotels are full to the brim again with tourists who have diverted their vacations from the new trouble spots, with a particular influx of Saudis who were supposed to to be in Cairo or Beirut.
New hotels ready
It is a happy coincidence that Dubai has so much new hotel accommodation coming on stream at the moment that there is plenty of five-star hospitality available. Indeed, for hoteliers just a few months ago wondering about how to fill rooms this is all very welcome.
Tourists of course put personal safety above anything else and government advisories about travel elsewhere in the region are clear, and why risk it? The pyramids can wait for another year. The huge shopping malls and luxury hotels of Dubai are a short-haul alternative and the weather is very good.
It’s bad news for tourism in the countries affected by reform protests. Syrian tourism was just beginning to look far more healthy (click here), although political instability in Lebanon has kept many away this year.
Abu Dhabi hotels
Could the UAE be a winner here? Abu Dhabi also has a string of new hotels. ArabianMoney liked the Desert Islands resort (click here) and the fabulous Qasr Al Sarab deep in the desert shown above (click here) as well as the new Fairmont (click here).
There is also talk of a flight of capital from Egypt and Tunisia to the UAE as a safe haven. This has certainly not yet been reflected in local stock markets – which are down sharply since the start of the crises – but some banks report large transfers into the country.
If these individuals also decide to move to Dubai then that might well be good for real estate, although they may well first choose a hotel or serviced apartment. There are many available, or at least there used to be before the current crises.
