11 per cent jump in Russian visitors to Oman

The number of Russian tourists travelling to the GCC is expected to increase 125 per cent from 933,000 in 2018 to 2.1 million in 2023, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2019, which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 28-May 1, 2019.

The latest research published by Colliers International predicts the increase in Russian tourists to the GCC to create an extra 2.9 million room nights over the coming five years.

Looking at the economic drivers, Russia’s links with the GCC have strengthened in recent years due to the introduction of additional airline routes; relaxed visa regulations for Russian nationals; the oil price recovery and stabling of value of the Russian rouble; a new generation of leisure attractions and retail destinations and a broad range of hotels and resorts across the GCC region.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: Traditionally, the GCC has always been popular with Russian tourists. However, in 2015 the GCC experienced a large drop in the number of Russian visitors, which was a reflection of volatility in the financial and energy markets.

As both factors continue to steady, we are once again witnessing a huge increase in Russian visitors and we expect this to continue.

Russia continues to be one of the top 10 source markets for the UAE, with 530,000 Russian visitors entering the UAE in 2017, a 121 per cent increase from the previous year. This increase stemmed from the UAE’s introduction of visas on arrival for Russian tourists in 2017.

While the UAE is expected to account for the majority of Russian arrivals in 2018, Saudi Arabia actually witnessed the highest Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) between 2013 and 2018, at 20 per cent compared with 17 per cent for the UAE.

Oman witnessed an increase of 11 per cent between 2013 and 2018, while Kuwait experienced an aggregate growth rate of 7 per cent.

Curtis concluded: “Russia, once again, represents a significant potential growth area for tourism markets across the GCC as Russian nationals turn to the region for its year-round sunshine, world-class hotels and resorts and fast-paced leisure amenities and facilities.”