FOR countries, Nigeria included, targeting travellers from the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), all attention will now be focused on Qatar as its nationals have emerged as the biggest spenders in the region with the GCC consisting of United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.And for Nigeria, the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, said this is a welcome development, as the tourism body would now seat back to map out the appropriate strategies atgetting the attention of theQataris who have shown some inclinations towards visiting Nigeria.This disclosure, which was made atone of the forums held yesterday at theArabian Travel Market(ATM), in Dubai, was the result of latest study of the trendy and travel habits of the GCC nationals conducted by a Senior Lecturer at the Emirates College of Aviation, Sunil Malhotra., in a study entilted: 'The outbound GCC travel market - unique trends and characteristics of GCC nationals.'The Qataris gained the top spot as the highest spenders with a daily average spend abroad of $4, 100, 22 percent more than the Saudis in a distant secondplacing with $3, 360 spend daily follwoed by the UAE with $3, 280 daily spend.Reacting to this finding, the Portfolio Director of Reed Travel Exhibitions, organisersof the yearly ATM, Mr. Mark Walsh, described it as an invaluable material for exhibitors and destinations seeking to increase their market share in the region. 'The results of the survey are an invaluable tool for destinations and exhibitors looking to capture increased market share from this affluent and well - travelled market segment.''Details reveal that 54 percent is spent on airfares (all classes of fares), 18 percent onaccommodation, nine percent on dinning andfive percent go for car rental. Also, GCC nationals spend 260 percent more on airfares than other nationals and 430 percent more on accommodation. Also, 40 percent of Qataris buy first class tickets while between 40 and 0 percent go for business class tickets.For nature of travel, which is more of extended vacation, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have the edge with a longer stay of between 14and 56 days. Another interesting finding is that in such countries Bahrain, Kuwait and the UAE, it is the wives (women) that decide on the choice of destinations to visit while in Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar it is the exclusive preserve of the men to decide.The Saudis are the most frequent travellers followed by the UAE with 53 percentdeciding for two two and five coutnries for leisure. Malhotra disclosed that about 2, 500 GCC nationals were interviewed for the survey over a period of 12 months with Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE citizens sampled with 30 criteria ranging from travel spend, class of tickets, destinations preferred toamount of stay designed.The Arabian Travel Market, which opend on Monday April 30 ended yesterday with a lot ofcultural celebration and fan fare by many of the countries, which have come to exbihit and market their destinations. the 20th edition is schedule to hold between 6 and 9 2013.
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