Press Releases
View All Press Releases| WTM | 09 Nov 2009 |
WOMEN-ONLY ACCOMMODATION CONCEPTS TO GROW ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST AND BEYOND
Women-only hotels are opening up across the Middle East as hoteliers capitalise on the region’s growing young female population, reveals the World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2009 today (Monday 9 November).
The concept of women-only hotels is an expansion of some operators, hoteliers and other suppliers offering single sex packages and products such as female floors in hotels and women-only tours.
The growing young and female population in the Middle East is encouraging suppliers to target this market with culturally acceptable and tailored concepts. Saudi Arabia is leading the way with the first women-only hotel, Luthan Hotel & Spa.
Egypt and Iran are also key target markets for female-only concepts especially with women accounting for almost half of the total population in 2008. In destinations such as these, where cultures are conservative, women-only concepts are likely to appeal to Middle-Eastern Women and Westerners, who want the additional reassurance, the World Travel Market Global Trends Report, in association with Euromonitor International, reveals.
The report predicts the concept could be broadened in appeal in less conservative destinations by linking it to health and wellness and including the spa element. Additional opportunities also lie in medical tourism as well as backpacking and adventure tourism for both regional tourists and Westerners in destinations such as Oman, Yemen, Jordan and Syria.
World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery said: “It’s amazing to see new and innovative concepts rise up out of changing consumer trends. The women-only trend could really catch-on for many people who are travelling on business, looking for the health and wellness element or just want some time away from hectic lives balancing work and home lives.”
Euromonitor International Global Travel and Tourism Research Manager Caroline Bremner said: “Saudi Arabia has 30 million domestic tourists with women more likely to travel internally because of the perception of it being risky to travel alone as well as being frowned upon for religious and cultural reason.”
-ends-
For further information please contact the WTM Press Office on +44 (0) 207 069 6119/ 6120 or visit the WTM International Press Centre onsite at ExCeL London, Level 3.
About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
Almost 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on London’s ExCeL Centre every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
WTM, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2009, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.
WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a portfolio of other travel industry events including Arabian Travel Market and International Luxury Travel Market.
RE holds more than 500 events in 38 countries throughout Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific covering 47 industry sectors including aerospace & aviation, healthcare, manufacturing and sport & recreation.
In 2008 RE, part of the Reed Elsevier group, brought together more than six million industry professionals from around the world generating billions of dollars in business.About Euromonitor International
Euromonitor International is the world's leading provider of global business intelligence and strategic market analysis. We have more than 37 years experience of publishing market reports, business reference books, online databases and bespoke consulting projects.
Our research offers insight into industries, countries and consumers. We deliver quality information solutions to support strategic business planning.
Euromonitor International is headquartered in London, with regional offices in Chicago, Singapore, Shanghai, Vilnius, Dubai, Cape Town and Santiago and has a network of over 600 analysts worldwide.
www.euromonitor.com
