JEDDAH – The Saudis are the biggest spending tourists in the world, spending a whopping $6,414 for each of their overseas trip compared to the global average of $2,501, followed by the Australians who come close second with an average of $3,962 spent on each trip, Visa's latest Global Travel Intentions Study said. According to the Study, travelers are expected to spend more on their next trip by an average of five percent this year. The survey conducted on around 13,000 people in 25 countries found that travelers from the Middle East and Africa spend an average of $218 per day during their trip, slightly lower than the global average of $239 per day. The Chinese are third on the list of big spenders at $3,679. Brazilians came fourth spending $2,844 on average per trip. Travelers from South Africa are at the fifth place, shelling out $2,779 on average per person each trip. Moreover, Saudi tourists have played a role in boosting the UAE economy, which is led by trade and tourism. “Saudi Arabia is the biggest market for Dubai in terms of room occupancy,” said Philip Wooller, area director of STR Global for the Middle East and Africa. Last year, Saudi Arabia topped the source markets with 1,128,757 visitors to Dubai. The number was less in Abu Dhabi, with 70,765 visitors, said Wooller. According to Visa's latest Tourism Outlook: UAE report, Saudi Arabian visitors spent $420.4 million on their Visa cards in the UAE last year, up 28.8 percent, taking third spot ahead of the US and China. Visitors from the Gulf state account for between four and 10 percent of hotels' annual revenues and between four and 14 percent of retailers' annual sales, hoteliers and retailers said. Saudi visitors account for between five and six percent of the hotel operator's annual guests in the UAE, while contributing four per cent of its annual revenue, said Olivier Hick, Accor's vice-president of operations in the Gulf and Levant countries. – SG/Agencies
