Trump effect dampens ME tourism to the US
Nairobi, Athens, Maldives and Delhi now on the radar for Arab travellers, says Irhal.com
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A survey of one million Middle Eastern tourists by Irhal.com – an Arabic/English travel website and app - shows that travellers from this region are now wary about going to the US for a holiday.
With threats to ban the entry of Muslims and reporting of hate crimes against minorities on the rise, Arab travellers are now looking at alternative destinations for their winter vacation.
According to the latest US Department of Commerce statistics, 1.3 million tourists from the Middle East visited the US last year and spent upwards of $8.5 billion. The average Middle East tourist spent $6,731 against $3,655 spent by a European tourist in the US.
According to Irfan Ahmad, chief executive of Irhal: “No US city is currently in the top 10 destinations that Irhal’s 1.5 million users wish to visit. Los Angeles, which was No. 8 last year, has now dropped to No.20.” A post election analysis of Irhal visitor behaviour shows that Nairobi, Athens, The Maldives and New Delhi are likely to see a surge in winter travellers from the Middle East.
Irhal.com has more than 1.5 million users across the Middle East. It has city guides for 90+ cities that include information on tourist attractions, shopping and hotels as well as GPS enabled maps showing Halal restaurants, mosques and prayer timings for each city. - TradeArabia News Service
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