Middle East at centre of tourism 'boom'
07 May 2008Tourism industries in Middle Eastern countries are booming as travellers from around the world show a growing interest in the region, a prominent figure in the sector has claimed.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman of the airline Emirates, said that countries in the region must cooperate if their success is to be sustained, the Khaleej Times reports.
Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market, he said: "Tourism is booming across the Middle East, not only here in the UAE [United Arab Emirates].
"However, this growth can only continue if we take a consolidated approach to make sure that each country's individual tourism products and domestic strategies complement one another."
Predictions made recently by the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing group suggested that the number of annual hotel visitors in Dubai is set to reach ten million by 2010.
The number of hotels and hotel apartment facilities is set to increase from 452 in 2007 to 488 in 2010, according to the projections.
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