Uptick in Asian tourism from Gulf
Asian tourist destinations have been unlikely beneficiaries of the political turmoil and unrest haunting many Middle Eastern and Arab countries. While wealthy residents of the UAE and other Gulf Coast countries used to vacation in Egypt and Tunisia, they now find themselves heading further away from home to enjoy their holidays.
Sri Lanka, in particular, has become a hit with the UAE crowd. Decades of civil war made it unappealing to tourists, but since the conflict came to an end 2 years ago, it is now a must-see for the well-traveled Emarati. Other Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia have long since been popular, but should also expect to see more visitors staying away from political hot spots. Singapore is also actively courting residents of the Gulf Coast countries as well in an effort to capitalize on the tourist boom heading to Asia.
[caption id="attachment_24987" align="alignleft" width="300"] Picture: Imran Saddique[/caption] Asian tourist destinations have been unlikely beneficiaries of the political turmoil and unrest haunting many Middle Eastern and Arab countries. While wealthy residents of the UAE and other Gulf Coast countries used to vacation in Egypt and Tunisia, they now find themselves heading further away from home to enjoy their holidays. Sri Lanka, in particular, has become a hit with the UAE crowd. Decades of civil war made it unappealing to tourists, but since the conflict came to an end 2 years ago, it is now a must-see for the well-traveled Emarati. Other...
Asian tourist destinations have been unlikely beneficiaries of the political turmoil and unrest haunting many Middle Eastern and Arab countries. While wealthy residents of the UAE and other Gulf Coast countries used to vacation in Egypt and Tunisia, they now find themselves heading further away from home to enjoy their holidays.
Sri Lanka, in particular, has become a hit with the UAE crowd. Decades of civil war made it unappealing to tourists, but since the conflict came to an end 2 years ago, it is now a must-see for the well-traveled Emarati. Other Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia have long since been popular, but should also expect to see more visitors staying away from political hot spots. Singapore is also actively courting residents of the Gulf Coast countries as well in an effort to capitalize on the tourist boom heading to Asia.
