VISA affluent study reveals 50% of UAE travelers will spend

Global payments’ technology company Visa Inc. will deliver a snapshot of the findings from its latest Affluent Study on the opening day (Monday 5 May) of the Arabian Travel Market 2014, which takes place over four days at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

During its online survey, VISA interviewed over 300 credit card-holders in the UAE, both male and female, between the ages of 18-55 years old. Over 130 of the respondents had household incomes between AED 200,000 and AED 300,000 per annum and more than 170 respondents had household incomes of AED 300,000 and above per annum.

“One interesting feature of the study that I can reveal ahead of our presentation at Arabian Travel Market, is that in 2013 family holidays had the third highest spending incidence among affluent respondents in the UAE.

89% took an overseas holiday in the last year with India, USA, Turkey, Maldives and France as the most popular destinations,” commented Marcello Baricordi, General Manager UAE and Global Accounts Lead at Visa Inc. MENA.

He added: “In terms of expected spending on family holidays over the next 12 months, half of UAE affluent respondents said they would be spending more than the previous year.”

Premium travel and hospitality is the theme of this year’s ATM show with the launch of ‘Spotlight on Luxury’. The up-scale focus will bring together luxury brand exhibitors, targeted luxury buyers and visitors along with a number of special seminar sessions exploring the high value market segment for both inbound and outbound travelers.

“The UAE’s hospitality profile in many ways is defined by its number of five-star luxury hotels, fine dining restaurants, celebrity chefs and designer labels. Discerning UAE residents are now demanding similar levels of luxury when travelling abroad and they are willing to pay for it,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of ATM.

“Besides the VISA seminar, we will be holding several other luxury-themed sessions, which will examine key opportunities in the global luxury travel arena and what this means for inbound and outbound tourism in the Gulf,” added Walsh.

One such session entitled ‘Luxury on Trends’ will be held on Tuesday 6 May at  12.15pm -13.15pm, featuring a panel of luxury experts including Simon Lynch, Director of Business Development, Abercrombie & Kent; Travel Attaché CEO, Liam Wholey and The Travel Collection owner & MD, Jacqueline Campbell.