Increasing intra-Arab travel is a driving force in Middle East tourism development according to a key Syrian government official…
Increasing intra-Arab travel is a driving force in Middle East tourism development according to a key Syrian government official. Announcing the country’s official participation in Arabian Travel Market 2005, the region’s premier travel and tourism exhibition, Engineer Nedal Mashfej of the Syrian Ministry of Tourism said growing intra-Arab tourism is cushioning the region from a fall-off in European traffic.
“Though the unrest in Iraq affected the number of European arrivals to Syria over the past two years, the number of Arab tourists increased and is steadily rising,” said Mashfej, the Ministry’s Director of Promotion.
Mashfej revealed that in the first 10 months of this year, inbound arrivals to Syria from the GCC rose almost 18% on the same period last year.
“In the first 10 months of last year we recorded some 530,000 visitors from the GCC – in the same period this year, the figure rose to 625,000,” he explained.
“Syria, which is one of the fastest-developing destinations within the Middle East, is becoming a preferred holiday choice with tourists from neighbouring countries and the GCC who are looking for leisure and shopping breaks,” said Mashfej.
Syria is now hoping to build its intra-regional traffic with plans to open a tourism office within the region.
We are planning to send a senior official delegation to Arabian Travel Market 2005,” said Mashfej. “Arabian Travel Market has helped put regional destinations on the map and at the 2005 event, the Ministry will unveil a series of new tourism projects within the country.”
Syria is among 10 Middle Eastern destinations so far registered for ATM 2005, which is organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) and is set to become the biggest in the show’s 12-year history.
“There is increasing space demand both from the Middle East’s public and private sectors as projects, destinations and the hospitality sector look for new regional and international openings,” said Chris Chackal, Group Exhibition Director – Overseas Events, RTE. “The response to the show so far has been phenomenal and we should easily reach a floor space target of some 14,200 square metres, which would be 20% bigger than the 2004 edition and the biggest ever year-on-year growth.”
To date, exhibitors from 27 countries have contracted for Arabian Travel Market 2005, which will run at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 3-6.Registration for the event is available at www.arabiantravelmarket.com/register05.
Arabian Travel Market 2005 is held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister and under the auspices of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Government of Dubai.
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