KUWAIT: Future travel optimism among Kuwaiti travelers is high in the Middle East and Africa region, according to the latest Global Travel Intentions Study 2015 launched by Visa (NYSE:V), the global payments technology company. 91% of travelers from Kuwait plan to travel over the next year. This optimism is reflected largely by the Millennial generation as more than half of those who intend to travel (55%) in the next one year for leisure are travelers aged 18-35. This trend also aligns with future travel budgets of Kuwaiti travelers, which is set to rise to USD$3,501 from the current median of $2,491- an increase of 41%. The study surveyed 13,603 travelers across 25 countries in January and February 2015. "Our latest Visa Global Travel Intentions Study is shining a very positive light on Kuwait's travel industry and what's interesting to see is that people from this market are serious about their leisure time. The study shows that Kuwait travelers go on an average of two trips in the past two years and the purpose of two-thirds of their trips are focused only on leisure. Moreover, future travel outlook is expected to improve, with Kuwaitis intending to take an average of two trips for leisure over the next year," said Amit Vij, Visa Country Manager for Kuwait. "Leisure is a serious business and insights of this kind are invaluable in our collaboration with the travel, hospitality and leisure sectors, and to understand individual traveler sentiments, especially during peak travel seasons such as the summer and the Eid holidays. We have been publishing the Visa Global Travel Intentions Study since 2006 and it has become a valuable tool to help the industry make informed decisions that bring significant benefits to the wider travel industry and individual travelers."
Top destination choices
The regular barometer of travel trends from Visa revealed that intra-regional travel continues to be the most popular with Kuwaiti travelers, with 72% of them having travelled within the Middle East in the past 2 years for leisure compared to 51% amongst AMEA travelers. The top choices of destination in the region for the past 2 years included Egypt (25%), UAE (22%), Saudi Arabia (17%), Turkey (14%) and Lebanon (11%). Asia trails as the second most popular region with 14% of Kuwaiti travelers having been there in the past 2 years for leisure, followed by countries in Europe and the Americas. Despite the proximity of travel destinations, Kuwait travelers spend up to 11 nights on holiday, which is higher than the global average of 9 nights, but lower than the regional average of 13 nights. The main motivators for travelling and destination choice among Kuwait travelers are relaxation, bonding and a desire to take a break from routine activities, which explains their preference for long vacations. Activities are especially important to Kuwaiti travelers when choosing their destinations, with half of the Millennial and Affluent travelers selecting this as essential criteria in their destination choices. Moreover, affluent travelers also state weather, safety and cleanliness as important reasons for destination choice.
Travel spending higher
The study reveals that the amount Kuwait travellers' spend per international holiday is higher than the global median of $2,281. In terms of budgeting, 64% of respondents say they would plan their trip around a budget, rather than search for the best experience. However, while most travelers have a budget in mind, 71% of Kuwait travelers would not mind paying more at the destination for activities that can improve their travel experiences. The study also found that those travelling from Kuwait who preferred using their credit cards increased by 15 times compared with 2013. Vij added, "The convenience, security and benefits that payment cards offer are aspects that travelers really value. The study showed that 43% of Kuwait travelers would have spent more with wider card acceptance." "Considering the travel industry generated 10% of global GDP in 2014, and this is expected to grow by 3.7% in 20151, this is an important message for merchants, the government and industry partners. Our Study also revealed that 56% of Kuwait travelers choose Visa as their preferred brand when it comes to making overseas payments. On our part, we want to partner with the industry to improve electronic payment acceptance across all aspects of the travel industry and make travel as easy, convenient and enjoyable as possible for all travelers in this market."
Travelers decisive
Nearly 4 in 5 of Kuwait travelers know where they want to go without considering any other destination, although they also tend to be spontaneous, with most decision-making occurring less than three months before the trip. In fact, 40% of independent travelers would book everything at the destination compared to regional (32%) and global (15%) average. In terms of booking arrangement, the trend is similar to that of global with 37% of Kuwait travelers going on package tours and 63% travelling independently. Travel and tourism continue to be a priority for Visa, and a prime focus area in the Middle East and Africa region. Besides providing the private and public sectors with valuable travel trends and data, Visa also invests efforts in to enhancing the electronic payments ecosystem for consumers and engaging them to promote travel in the region.
© Kuwait Times 2015