Dubai: Hundreds of delegates from the region and around the world attend the opening of the 22nd edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2015 in Dubai on Monday.
This year’s ATM, which runs from May 4 to 7 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, has attracted the participation of nearly 3,000 exhibitors, ranging from hotels to travel agencies who are showcasing their products and services.
In line with the theme of the latest edition of ATM, YouGov has unveiled the results of its latest Family Travel study with the findings showing that the majority of residents in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region prefer to travel with their family.
Family ties
The results of the study, which polled more than 2,000 respondents, showed that most Middle East residents (64 per cent) had been on holiday with their children in the last 12 months, highlighting family-centric travel as a key topic to focus on.
“Our research looked at how behavior and preferences change when traveling with children, and with children of different ages, and this was a good springboard for discussion,” said Scott Booth, research director and head of travel, tourism and leisure for YouGov Middle East who presented the results of the study.
Sponsored by the Tourism Board of Mexico, this year’s edition of ATM puts the spotlight on family travel, which reportedly accounts for more than 12.5 per cent of the global tourism market.
According to a Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry report based on Thomson Reuters data, the boom in family tourism is driven by population and economic growth in Islamic countries. The global family travel market has increased in value from $137 billion in 2012 to $140 billion in 2013, and is forecast to reach $181 billion by 2018.
Among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Saudi Arabia is considered a major source market for family travel, registering $17.1 billion in expenditures in 2012, while the UAE is the second biggest market, with $10.1 billion in spending.
YouGov’s study found that, in a year, families in the region take about two trips. Residents with younger children (0-12 years) have a tendency to travel more often- about three or more trips annually- than those with teenagers (13-18 years).
When asked why they traveled, respondents said they were either visiting friends or family, holidaying in a resort or beach, taking some time off during Eid, doing some shopping, exploring another city/sightseeing or doing a religious pilgrimage.
Those who travel with their families also tend to visit popular leisure destinations such as the UAE and across Europe. “In terms of destinations, the patterns are not drastically different from those traveling without family, with large concentrations of family travelers visiting the UAE and Europe,” said Booth.
“Those who are married with or without children are more likely to have visited Egypt or India on their last leisure trip. Those married with children are more likely to have visited UAE on their last trip compared to those married without children,” he added.
