Sponsored Listings:
Tourism received a boost in 2015 with airport passenger volume growing from around 10 million travellers in 2014 to just over 10.2 million last year as the Gulf state ploughs ahead with plans to expand its transportation infrastructure.
World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) report titled ‘Kuwait Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2015’ states that tourism accounts for 1.5% of GDP in 2015, and is set to rise by 0.3% by 2025.The report also expects a growth in leisure spend by 6.2% per annum to KWD 2.4 billion in 2025 while business travel is expected to grow by 5.6% per annum to KWD 457.3 million in 2025.
“Kuwait is focused on adding new high profile brands to its hotel mix as well as opening up the country with its expansion programme for Kuwait International airport,” said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market.
WTTC also predicts 440,000 tourist arrivals by 2024. Kuwait also exhibits high domestic travel spend that generated 88.1% of direct Travel & Tourism GDP in 2014 and is expected to increase by 6.4% per annum through to 2025.
High-end brands such as Four Seasons will open its first 263-key Kuwait property at Burj Alshaya at the end of 2016. This will be followed by the Mercure Kuwait (2017), Hilton Olympia Kuwait in 2019 and a Grand Hyatt in 2020. Kuwait will be entering new mid-market territory with a number of upcoming projects including the 160-room Novotel Sharq (2017) and several Rotana properties, with a Centro Rotana set to debut in 2018 with 200 rooms.
Source: travelnewsdigest.in