London, Paris, Zurich and some other familiar European destinations remain most popular with UAE travellers this summer, but more are turning to the US as the lure of the great American adventure returns.
While growth in outbound travel to the US has been slow and volumes are still well below pre-9/11 levels, Hertz UAE says recent trends in overseas car rental bookings suggest America is gradually winning back Middle East visitors.
Set up two months ago to deal with all international car rental reservations from the UAE, a new Hertz dedicated call centre, as expected, has been busiest in dealing with European bookings.
“But the USA is picking up, with New York and Washington DC leading the way,” said Bob Farrow, General Manager of Hertz UAE. “Judging from what my Hertz colleagues in other Middle East countries tell me, this is a general trend for the region, and we believe it’s one that will continue.”
“The low dollar is obviously having an effect, and it was always inevitable that travel from the Middle East to the US, which fell so dramatically after 9/11, would eventually start picking up.”
Added Farrow: “From our point of view the US is an obvious growth market because people travelling there can experience so much more of the great American outdoors by renting a car and having the flexibility to go and see what they want to see.”
The bulk of outbound car rental bookings made through the new Hertz UAE international reservations centre in Dubai have been for travellers collecting cars at London Heathrow,
Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, as well as Vienna, Geneva, Zurich and Munich.
While travellers to the UK generally opt for standard cars such as the Ford Mondeo and
in France the Renault Megane 1.6, those heading for Switzerland and Austria prefer seven to nine-seat vehicles such as the Ford Galaxy and Mercedes Vito. Businessmen on trips to Germany choose premium BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Volvo models.
The Hertz UAE international reservations centre handles all business and leisure car rental requirements for UAE residents travelling to destinations in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia.
In addition to car rentals, callers are giving advice on hotels, local rules and regulations, and what to do and see at their chosen destination. They can also get an International Driving Licence.
Hertz is the largest worldwide general use car rental business, operating in over 150 countries from 7,400 locations. Hertz is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. In the Middle East, Hertz is represented by franchise operations in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE and Yemen, and by general sales agents in Saudi and Bahrain.
