Filipinos have once again proven their consumer optimism in the UAE market after they ranked third in Dubai’s list of nationalities who frequent the emirate’s local tourist destinations.
Data from the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing reveal that UAE Nationals comprise the largest market for domestic tourism at 40% in the latter half of 2020. This was followed by Indians at 11%, and Filipinos at 7%. Egyptian and British expats rank fourth at fifth with 5% and 3%, respectively.
When the UAE began easing coronavirus restrictions, Filipinos were among the first to revel in UAE’s local tourism scene, embarking on road trips with their friends and family after months of strict quarantine regulations in the country.
In 2021, the UAE has given domestic tourism a boost by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, when he launched the UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism. It capitalizes on the purchasing power of local tourists to visit the country’s popular destinations and uncover its hidden gems.
“Working as one team in the tourism sector will bring long-term benefits to every part of the UAE and boost our status globally as a single destination that offers rich and diverse experiences. Each of the seven emirates features rich tourist experiences, massive resources and cultural, archaeological and architectural treasures. We aim to unify our efforts to maximize returns,” said the Vice President.
Revisiting the emirates
The road trip travel trend isn’t new in the UAE. Many travel and tourism agencies as well as hotels offer a variety of activities such as desert safaris, ‘glamping’, trekking, and more. Many residents also take it upon themselves to play DIY trips for their families. However, these activities picked up better speed as a result of border closures and strict aviation protocols for travelers. Hence, a growing number of residents preferred to visit local tourism destinations due to fear of being stranded overseas due to ongoing travel restrictions.
Bianca Litonjua, Head of Events at Rove Hotels, shared that people who do road trips in the UAE often incorporate hotel staycations in their itineraries, with estimates of 4 out of 5 guests who are “local tourists”.
“Right now, our guests are approximately 80% local residents and 20% international tourists. Gone are the days when you can take longer holidays and travel out of the country, so these 20% are really short-term travels with countries that have either established travel corridors or are closer to the UAE,” said Litonjua.
The UAE tourism sector also witnessed the rise of local tourists who engage in road trips with their loved ones—a huge majority of them (74.4%) are expats.
A recent survey from YouGov backed this data. The study showed that 72% of UAE and GCC residents have either already gone on their road trips earlier in 2021, or have already confirmed their trips with friends and family this year. Meanwhile, residents who are planning to visit domestic destinations also saw a boost from 53% in 2020 to 57% in 2021.
“Road tripping in the UAE has already been here for some time people have been booking staycations in other emirates. The only difference between before and now is that it has become more frequent than a bi-monthly thing for residents. In my personal opinion, the trend of road trips will stay as the UAE has been enhancing its destinations within other emirates that people find very attractive. So for sure there will still be a lot of what we call ‘Local Tourists’,” said Litonjua.
Outdoor explorations
One of the most important benefits of domestic tourism is its contributions to the local economy. His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs and Chair of the Council of Ministers at the Emirates Tourism Council, said the contributions of the tourism sector to the UAE’s GDP have reached 11.9 percent as of 2019.
With the new adoption of the UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism, Al Falasi hopes that this would gradually increase to up to 15 percent within the next decade.
“Despite the tremendous challenges it brought onto the industry, the pandemic also created new opportunities for domestic tourism, with a surge in demand recorded over the past year, especially during the holidays and vacation season, and some establishments even reporting full occupancy. This reflects the high quality of the services the sector provides, which rank among the best in the world,” said Al Falasi.
Of the seven emirates, studies revealed that majority of road trips and weekend getaways for UAE residents are within Dubai. Dubai accounts for 44% of the demand, owing to the emirate’s many family-friendly destinations, major retail offerings, and a huge variety in F&B offerings, according to CBRE research.
This is followed by Abu Dhabi with 32% demand among local visitors, capitalizing on offering cultural, nature and corporate events. Tourism in the Northern Emirates represents the remaining 24% of the demand, owing to their awe-inspiring coastlines, beaches, and unique island experiences.
Litonjua is optimistic that this drive to push and enhance domestic tourism will make road trips among UAE residents more meaningful.
“People always look for outdoor activities since we all experienced staying in our homes for long periods of time in the past year. The UAE, since then, has launched a lot of initiatives that are specifically catered to outdoor and adventure driven activities which I think our local residents find attractive, not to mention beach properties where you can relax and chill (socially distanced of course). I think road trips, staycations, and exploring the Emirates are the things that would stick for a long time for UAE residents and international tourists. These experiences will surely create a lot of lasting, fond memories with their friends and family for them to treasure,” said Litonjua.
