Travelling UAE residents spend biggest on shopping

UAE residents vacationing overseas are spending the most of their money on shopping, which amounted to Dh7.2 billion as of 2012.

Also benefiting greatly from UAE jet-setters are foreign hotels, campsites, guesthouses, and other travel accommodation abroad, which accounted for Dh6.7 billion in expenditure last year.

Outbound tourists’ spending on retail food, as well as food service, full-service restaurants, cafes, bars and fast food reached Dh4.8 billion.

According to Premjit Bangara of Sharaf Travel Services, Indians, GCC and Emiratis, and expatriates from Europe and the West are among the big spenders on leisure travel abroad.

Their favourite destinations include Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Egypt, among others. With the introduction of new flights from the UAE, countries like Brazil, Argentina and Chile are also drawing an increasing number of tourists from the UAE.