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Dubai: Despite a gloomy outlook in the travel industry due to rising oil prices, UAE residents are expected to travel more out of the country for business in the next 12 months, a study reveals.
The most popular destinations are western Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, although other places like the US, China, far east, eastern Europe and Africa will continue to see an influx of Middle East travellers, according to Jane Wilson, director for travel and tourism research of YouGovSiraj.
"They [residents] will be travelling more, out of the country more, but still a lot in the region. Western Europe and the GCC are the most popular places for trips and will remain so over the coming year, though the rest of the Mena [Middle East and North Africa] region is expected to catch up," Wilson told Gulf News.
"The US, China and the rest of the Far East are expected to remain popular with around half. There will be a big boost of travellers to Eastern Europe and the rest of Africa as these destinations become more accessible," Wilson added.
Research
The study, conducted by market research firm YouGovSiraj for The Business Travel Show Dubai 2008, found that more than 80 per cent of the respondents expect their company's travel frequency to increase, with almost half expecting the increase to be big.
YouGov sent out online questionnaires, which were completed by over 100 business travel bookers, travellers booking for themselves and business travel agents.
The survey found that company travel budgets for over three quarters of respondents have increased in the last year and the trend is set to continue in the next 12 months.
More residents will be travelling to attend conferences and exhibitions and to visit prospective clients abroad.
The study also found that companies are willing to pay extra money so their executives could travel in style, as almost one-third of bookers expect to see more people travelling on business class in the next 12 months. A quarter of respondents are booking a mixture of business and economy.
"This proves that corporations continue to see the value of conducting business on face-to-face basis, and also shows that they are willing to pay that little extra to see their executives travel in style, enabling them to arrive at their destination well rested and ready for business," said Sally Maltby, event director for show organisers Centaur Exhibitions.
An Emirates airline spokesperson said it is not surprising to see an increase in business travel in the region, given the "massive development projects and strong economic activity in the Middle East and GCC."
"As the region's largest airline operator, an upswing in business travel demand is obviously good news for us," the spokesperson told Gulf News.
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