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Middle EastTravel & TourismSOCIAL INDEX
APRIL 2016
Welcome to VENDS’ first MiddleEast Travel and Tourism SocialIndex – the most comprehensivestudy undertaken of each touristboard, national airline andleading hotel in the Middle East.
We have created this comprehensivereport in response to the growingdemand for empirical, quality informationabout the role of social media in thedeveloping Middle East hospitalitysector.
The tourism sector in the Middle East hasgrown exponentially in recent years, andthis growth has been mirrored by the risein importance of social media to inspire,inform and connect with travelconsumers.
In a recent report by the Digital TourismThink Tank social media has establisheditself as an integral component ofeveryday lives of many consumers havinga direct impact on a destination’sposition, perception, and relevance.
Social media also plays a significant rolein the economic performance of eachmarket within the Middle East.
Consumers engage with social mediawhen researching trips, sharing personalexperiences, and making decisions onwhen, where and with whom to travel.
User-generated content is seen online asthe most credible and authentic - it is thesource travellers trust most.
Here we argue – using a balance ofquantitative and qualitative metrics –that it is possible to correlate increasesin visitor numbers, improvements infinancial performance and growth inbrand awareness to a beer use of socialmedia channels.
VENDS has taken a regional focus for thisreport, but we also compared the MiddleEast to best practice from around theworld.
This study will be the first of a series ofgeographically-focused reports and willbe updated annually and I hope that youfind it useful and please share yourthoughts across social media using#VENDSIndex.
Sincerely,
Chris O’Toole
Editor
The tourism sector inthe Middle East hasgrown exponentiallyin recent years, andthis growth has beenmirrored by the risein importance ofsocial media toinspire, inform andconnect with travelconsumers.
Executive Summary
The VENDS study uses a mixtureof quantitative and qualitativedata to examine the role of socialmedia in the Middle Easthospitality market.
Social media plays a growing role in manyaspects of tourism, especially whensearching for information, decisionmaking, promotion and in examining bestpractice when interacting withconsumers. Leveraging social media tomarket tourism products has proven tobe an excellent strategy.
To examine the leaders in the field ourexpert editorial team has compiled up tothe minute figures from national tourismboards, national airlines, and leadinghotels from across the region.
These figures were then examined acrossa range of indications, including:
Reach: To what extent theorganisation is comprehensively,consistently and coherentlyrepresented across the top five socialmedia platforms – Facebook, Twier,Instagram, Google + and Pinterest –and the number of fans, likes andfollowers and aggregate reachachieved on each.
Frequency: How regularly these socialmedia channels are updated and thequality of the content employed.
Engagement: A measure of how manyinteractions a brand achieves acrossthe top social media channels in termsof shares, likes, comments et al.
Responsiveness: The number,usefulness and speed of the repliesmade by an organisation across itssocial media portfolio.
Innovation: The degree to which eachorganisation has a presence across abroader range of emerging platforms,channels and is experimenting withnew media formats, including 360°and virtual reality videos.
Monetisation: Evidence of howorganisations are capitalising fromtheir social media presence throughlinks to bookings, revenue generatingopportunities, and other financialavenues.
Global Focus: A look at howinternationally focused the brand is,including evidence of multi-lingualcontent, and the use of region-specificplatforms such as VK in Russia andWeibo in China.
Social media plays a growing role inmany aspects oftourism, especiallywhen searching forinformation, decisionmaking, promotionand in examiningbest practice wheninteracting withconsumers.
Criteria
Below we report a series of tablesoutlining which tourist boards, hotels, and airlines have capitalised on theopportunities afforded by the myriad ofsocial media platforms now spreadingacross the Middle East. We examinewhich have the biggest reach, which arethe most active, innovative, andresponsive, and which have been able tomonetise content most effectively.These are the bands regarded by VENDSas benchmarks in the Middle East; thosewhich others should seek to emulate.
INDEx OF DaTa
Overall top performing brands andorganisations in the Middle East(full ranking)
Top performing tourist boards(include GDP column)
Top performing airlines
Top performing hotels
Explanation of Index
Is there, then, a correlationbetween a destination’s socialmedia ranking and its tourismgrowth?
Turkey is the leading light in tourism inthe Middle East.
Aracting 39,811,000 visitors in 2014, itregistered a 5.06 per cent increase onthe previous year. At the same time it isone of the strongest performers in thesocial media space. With 4.5 million likeson Facebook, for example, it dwarfs thepresence of virtually every otherdestination in the region, with theexception of Dubai. This is mirroredacross other channels, with Turkey’s750,000 Twier, 277,000 Instagram and420,000 Google+ followers all leadingthe industry.
On the VENDS social media scoringmechanism Turkey is rated highlysuggesting a strong correlation betweenonline presence and tourism growth.
Dubai, too, provides an illustration of thepower of social media. With 14.3 millionvisitors in 2015, and growth of 7.69 percent on the previous year, it is the secondmost popular destination in the MiddleEast.
With a high VENDS social media rankingit appears the largest of the United ArabEmirates has been able to exploit itsonline position to spur growth. With 3.7million likes on Facebook, a further65,000 followers on Twier and 122,000followers on Instagram, Dubai is aregional travel and tourism market leader
in the use of social media. With contentalso produced in eight languages thedestination has proved adept inaracting a widespread global audienceto its various channels.
The commercial sector has also played arole in growing the social media presenceof Dubai. Emirates, the national airline,has a large following of its own, withnearly six million Facebook likes, a furthermillion on Instagram and three quarters ofa million on Twier. Similarly, the Burj AlArab - among the most luxurious hotels inthe world - has 400,000 likes on Facebookand a strong presence across otherchannels. Such strong support fromprivate actors in the hospitality industryappears to have boosted visitor numbersto Dubai more generally.
However, a note of caution must also besounded. Both Iraq and Syria have seensharp falls in visitor numbers – of 24.5 and18.3 per cent in the year statistics aremost recently available for. While bothdestinations have weak social mediaprofiles, it is unrealistic to suggest thishas played any role in the decline giventhe wider geopolitical situation in theregion.
Similarly, Bahrain saw tourism visitornumbers surge from 9.1 to 10.4 millionbetween 2013 and 2014. This has comedespite a negligible social mediapresence, with the destination achievinga cumulative score of ‘17’ on the VENDSindex. This suggests, while social mediaplays an important role in the growth of adestination, a strong profile is not aguarantee of success.
On the VENDSsocial media scoringmechanism Turkey is rated highlysuggesting a strongcorrelation betweenonline presence andtourism growth.
VENDS Insight:Social media and tourism growth
Which social media platformsare the most important to thetourism industry in the MiddleEast? In 2016 there is only a clear answer to this question:Facebook.
The organisation has grown into abehemoth. With nearly two billion activemonthly users, the social network offersunmatched influence around the globe,making it vital to the success of anydestination wishing to promote itselfonline.
This is borne out by the figures collatedby VENDS.
Every destination in our survey had morelikes of Facebook than any other socialmedia platform, led by Turkey with 4.5million, Dubai (3.7 million), Abu Dhabi(560,000), Saudi Arabia (520,000), Qatar(470,000) and Jordan (400,000). Theimpact of Facebook is, simply, unrivalled.
But it is not just its scale. Facebook allowsorganisations to establish FacebookPages, tailored microsites acting as alocation for interested travellers todiscover everything they need to knowabout a destination, hotel or airline.
Other social media platforms currentlyplay niche roles within the tourismindustry.
Twier is strongest in terms of speed,allowing organisations to keep followersup to date with the latest informationinstantly. Importantly, it lets followerscommunicate with organisations too. Thiscan create a two way dialogue, a semi-formal correspondence that allows abrand to showcase a distinct personality.
Twier is a chance to liven up your image.Tweeting about a destination’spersonality gives followers a sense ofconnection, that an organisation is morethan just a supplier of goods or services.
In the private sphere, Turkish Airlines,with 1.2 million followers, is the keenestTwier advocate, while Royal Jordanian(200,000) and Burj Al Arab (48,000) arealso high tempo users.
Image sharing application Instagram hasalso carved out a unique place in thesocial media landscape of the MiddleEast. Turkey, Dubai and Jordan are againthe most ardent users, taking advantageof the platform’s ability to instantly shareimages around the world.
For a destination this offers a greatopportunity to showcase the best ofwhat is on offer, with user generatedcontent presenting a chance to windowshop. Potential visitors are given a tasteof what is on offer in a destination alongwith useful information in the captions.
Popular Platforms
However, it is important for theestablished social media networks notto rest on their laurels - we still recall thestories of Myspace, Friends Reunitedand Bebo.
Through 2015 Pinterest, Tumblr,Instagram and LinkedIn saw the biggestgrowth, with Reddit also growing rapidly.All these networks have the potential tosteal users, interactions and time fromthe established players.
Chief among them, of course, isSnapchat – a vital tool for youngertravellers. Facebook aempted to buythe network for $3 billion in 2013,illustrating how quickly it was growing,and now showcases billions of videos aday to a network of more than 500million users around the world. The newkid on the block has the potential tochange everything.
away from the west, Weibo is ofvast importance to the Chinesemarket.
China has the highest number of internetusers in the world and social media is ahighly influential medium in the country.However, due to government restrictions,many popular western social media sitesaren’t available in China.
In response, Sina Weibo has grown toencompass over 503 million users.
Similar to Twier, it allows users to post140-Chinese character messages.WeChat, called Weixin in China, is a chatapp similar to WhatsApp, with around 500million active users.
In Russia VK is the largest social media,ranked second only to Facebook globally –higher even than Instagram and Twier interms of users.
VK also ranks at number five on the list ofall websites available to the Russianspeaking market.
With more than 60 million Russian users,there is a major opportunity here justwaiting for the hospitality sector in theMiddle East to tap in to.
Around the World
China has thehighest number ofinternet users in theworld and socialmedia is a highlyinfluential medium in the country. Thesmartest CEO's intravel and hospitalityshould be askingwhat is our Weiboand VK marketingstrategy?
Here we examine how far adestination’s gross domesticproduct influences its socialmedia potential.
Are larger, more developed economiesable to exploit the benefits of social mediamore than their still developing peers?
Again Turkey is the leader in both terms ofsize and social media utilisation,suggesting the greater the resources of acountry the greater its potential todevelop an online presence. With a grossdomestic product of $861 billion in 2015,Turkey dominates the Middle East interms of economic strength, and this ismirrored by its position in the hospitalitymarket, with an industry leading 40million inbound visitors in 2015.
With 4.5 million Facebook likes, 780,000followers on Twier and 41 million Google+ page impressions, all of which dwarf thefigures of rivals, the development ofTurkish tourism suggests a strongcorrelation between economic successand social media presence.
Saudi Arabia further emphasises this point.
With a gross domestic product of $805billion in 2015, largely drawn from the saleof its primary resources, the destinationhas been able to build a large social mediapresence. With half a million Facebooklikes, second only to Turkey, Saudi Arabiais a market leader in Middle East social
media, a point emphasised by its 250,000Twier followers.
Jordan, a relatively small country with a$39 billion gross domestic product in2015, is however an outlier. With arespectable VENDS social media rankingthe country has an impressive 400,000Facebook likes and 173,000 followers onTwier. These figures are significantlylarger than one might expect, suggestinga destination is able to overcomeeconomic limitations with a concertedsocial media agenda.
Finally, Iran provides an interesting casestudy looking forward. At present thedestination has a negligible social mediapresence, with Iran Travel & TouringOnline having fewer than 1,000 likes onFacebook. However, this is at odds withthe size of the Iranian economy, which wasvalued at over $400 billion in 2015.
With economic sanctions on the countycurrently being lied following a deal withthe international community over itsnuclear programme, it remains to be seenif the destination is able to build a socialmedia presence in line with its economicstanding.
VENDS’ research suggests the larger aneconomy, the greater its social mediapresence. However, the trend is notuniform, with smaller destinations able tobuild larger profile with appropriatepolicies in place.
The development of Turkish tourismsuggests a strongcorrelation betweeneconomic successand social mediapresence.
Social Media Ranking andGross Domestic Product
The key to a successful socialmedia presence is creatingrelevant and rich content anddelivering it in a format thatsparks a reaction or responsefrom all that receive it.
According the VENDS’ research, richcontent - content that deviates fromnormal text and static images andengages with the end user – is central tothis ambition.
Social media content should target anaudience, engage them and persuadethem to take action by offering dynamicelements and a ‘richer’ user experience.Such media includes audio, videos,eBooks, webinars, gif animations and anymultimedia content that engages with theuser.
Leaders in this area include severalairlines from across the Middle East.
Qatar Airways, with 11.7 million Facebooklikes, Turkish Airlines (8.2 million),Emirates (5.7 million), and Oman Air (1.3
million) have all proved adept atgenerating content capable of engagingwith huge audiences. Organisations areconstantly looking for ways todifferentiate themselves online and in themarket place, and by producing higherquality content these industry leadingairlines have been able to achieve this.
In the hotel sector, The Chedi Muscat, with17,000 Twier followers has managed tocarve out a unique niche in the Omanihospitality sector with a combination of apersonal style, varied media and timelyupdates – a model for others to follow.
Burj Al Arab, too, has built a strong socialmedia profile through the creation ofexcellent rich content. Using a blend ofcreativity, presentation and technologicalsavvy, the hotel has consistently met andexceeded the expectations of itsaudience. This has been rewarded withfigures – 400,000 likes on Facebook and80,000 followers on Twier – the envy ofthe Middle East hospitality industry.
Importance of Rich Content
Social media content shouldtarget an audience,engage them andpersuade them totake action.
When generating social mediacontent social media providersmust also be aware of the rapidly growing role of mobiletechnology.
As much as one third of all global webtraffic is now from a mobile device, andthe figure is increasingly rapidly. As suchall content needs to be configured acrossa range of platforms, posing newchallenges for those looking tosuccessfully engage with consumers.
It must also be remembered that theshare of mobile web also variesconsiderably around the world: mobilephones account for nearly all pagesserved in Papua New Guinea, but barely0.1 per cent of pages served in some ofthe smaller areas of the world wheremobile data is not yet affordable orreadily available.
In one of the largest inbound tourismmarkers for the Middle East, India, mobiletraffic can account for three quarters ofall web use – food for thought for thoselooking to develop their mobile and socialpresence.
Mobile
As much as one thirdof all global webtraffic is now from a mobile device, and the figure isincreasingly rapidly.
Where do we look forinspirational social media in theMiddle East? Here VENDSexamines the market leaders andreveals what it is they do thatseparates them from thecompetition.
With a VENDS ranking of ‘3’ Emirates isconsidered among the leading brands inthe Middle East in terms of engagement.The carrier has been successful inentertaining and educating its audienceabout its products, while also proving veryable at eliciting action from potentialcustomers.
The airline commonly showcases dealsacross its social media channels,principally Facebook, monetising itsonline presence and offering potentialpassengers a chance to engage with theDubai-based carrier. This is enhancedthrough quizzes and community photos,as well as eye-catching images and videosof its aircra (usually the iconic AirbusA380).
Also in Dubai, Burj Al Arab has setstandards in the hotel sector, aractingrecord engagement figures with millionsof likes, comments, shares and viewsacross Facebook, YouTube, Instagram andTwier. Initiatives included recentlyhosting the #WorldsUltimateInstameetwith the world’s largest Instagram travelaccount @BeautifulDestinations,aracting priceless social mediaaention to the property.
The property – managed by JumeirahGroup, the global luxury hotel companyand a member of Dubai Holding – has asocial strategy targeted at key socialmedia influencers and high net-worthindividuals and designed to engage withboth the local community and current andpotential customers.
Finally, Go Turkey, the tourist board ofTurkey, has proved itself to be an ableperformer in the social media space.
In a nation where nearly 80 per cent of thepopulation lives in modern urbanenvironments – including Istanbul and thecapital Ankara – the destination hasmanaged to harness the power of theseyoung tech-savvy social media users tocreate a unique proposition. The TurkishCulture & Tourism Office has created apowerful new social media persona as itlooks to build on visitor numbers to thecountry.
As Ali Selcuk Can, director of the TurkishCulture & Tourism Office in the UK,explains: “Social media is one of themeans that we will be using in promotingTurkey as we recognise that it is a vitalpart of the strategy of promotion in thisday and age. In fact the Ministry ofCulture & Tourism give it so muchimportance already that 15 per cent of itspromotion is in online advertising.”
Turkey is the destination to beat in MiddleEast social media.
Middle East Success Stories
Emirates isconsidered amongthe leading brandsin the Middle Eastin terms ofengagement.
Where do social media brandsfrom the Middle East stand onthe global stage?
Firstly, the Middle East is home to anumber of global leaders. Qatar Airways,for example offers news and informationabout the company, largely throughTwier. With more than 11.5 millionfollowers, its reach is unrivalled in theglobal hospitality industry.
The Turkish Culture & Tourism Office, andthe Go Turkey campaign, with 4.5 millionfollowers on Facebook, is also in the upperechelon of global engagement from anational tourist board.
These, however, are among the standoutsfrom the region, with the majority ofdestinations, airlines tourist boards stillseeking to create a unique presenceonline.
Singapore Airlines, for example, has420,000 Twier followers and 2.5 millionlikes on Facebook, far in excess of themajority of Middle East-based carriers.Also in Asia, Cathay Pacific has 335,000followers on Twier and 1.25 million likeson Facebook, figures the envy of manyairlines in the Middle East.
By the same token, British Airways has 2.3million Facebook likes and 867,000followers on Twier, while Delta Air Lineshas 1.5 million Facebook likes and 1.1million Twier followers. This clearlyshows the enormous opportunity thatexists in establishing a world-class socialmedia presence.
In the hotel sector, the MGM Grand in LasVegas has 1.1 million Facebook likes and340,000 followers on Twier, puing infar ahead of competitors in the MiddleEast. Among the global chains, MarrioInternational has more than two millionlikes on Facebook, while Hilton Worldwidehas 1.4 million, providing a benchmark forproperties in the Middle East to aim for.
VisitBritain has also set an industrybenchmark with its GREAT Britaincampaign.
Running for four years, since the London2012 Olympic Games, the programme haswelcomed at least £2.5 billion in additionalvisitor spend for the UK, while generating£8.9 billion in advertising equivalentvalue. At the same time VisitBritain hasdrawn £52.5m in partner funding, cash andin kind, from partners in the privatesector.
And it is working.
Britain set a new record for inboundtourism in 2015, with 35.8 million visits,four per cent up on 2014 and the fihconsecutive year of growth. Figuresreveal that domestic tourism in England isalso up with 103 million overnight tripsrecorded in 2015, an 11 per cent increasecompared to 2014.
Global Benchmarks
With more than 11.5 million followers,Qatar Airways’ reachis unrivalled in theglobal hospitalityindustry.
Our research has revealed some keyprinciples for success for those searchingto build a travel and tourism focusedsocial media presence in the Middle East:
Size is important, sometimes:While larger organisations have anearly advantage building a socialmedia portfolio, actors with smallerbudgets are able to create outsizedfollowings with the careful cultivationof appropriate channels.
Rich, timely, content: Successfulsocial media users in the Middle Eastare able to produce rich, interactivecontent on a consistent basis, drawingusers to their social media channelsand keeping them coming back.
Speaking the right language:Producing content in more than onelanguage allows engagement in keymarkets around the world.
Facebook reigns supreme: While it isimportant to have a portfolio of socialmedia channels on offer to potentialvisitors, Facebook remains the crownjewel to brands aspiring to build anonline presence.
Rising fast: With over 300 millionmonthly users and deep integrationinto the rest of the Google "stack" ofbrands, Google + remains a compellingsocial media platform and, with thepower of world’s largest internetcompany behind it, has the potential torewrite the rules of the industry.
One picture is worth…:Facebook-owned Instagram, with 75million daily users, also offers a chancehospitality providers cannot afford tomiss, giing an opportunity toshowcase products like no other.
VENDS Conclusions
SpEakING yOuR laNGuaGE
Travel is an inherently global market and yetlanguage remains one of the greatestuntapped opportunities for the travel andhospitality sector in social media. Of all theorganisations analysed few have yet torealise the enormous opportunity ofspeaking to customers in their firstlanguage. There is no doubt that doing socreates a sense of “home” for guests;increasing the likelihood of being thepreferred choice of the travel consumerand establishing a deep emotionalconnection due to the improved customerexperience. We need to remember that only8% of the world's 7.2 billion inhabitantsspeak English as a first language and yetbrand and organisations are rarely speakingin anything other than English on theirsocial media channels. For Abu Dhabi as anexample, 30-40% of people checking intohotels are Arabic, Hindi or Chinesenationals. Additionally, companies that havethese language channels setup on Weibo,VK and FB Hindi are able to market theirproducts to billions of users who may notbe active on predominantly Englishlanguage social media platforms but havehuge spending power.
Turkey
Dubai
abu Dhabi
Saudi arabia
Jordan
Qatar
Egypt
Israel
Ras al khaimah
lebanon
Sharjah
Oman
Fujairah
palestine
yemen
Iran
Bahrain
kuwait
Syria
al ain
Go Turkey
Visit Dubai
Visit Abu Dhabi
Saudi Tourism
Visit Jordan
Qatar Tourism
Experience Egypt
Go Israel
Visit Ras Al Khaimah
Live Love Lebanon
Sharjah
Oman Tourism
Fujairah Tourism
Travel Palestine
Yemen Tourism
Bahrain
Visit Kuwait
Syria Tourism
Al Ain
4,482,553
3,716,659
560,273
526,109
403,474
479,708
242,818
238,213
152,231
66,319
12,300
16,898
2,460
1,815
1,981
691
–
146
–
–
781,000
65,800
213,000
246,000
173,000
83,600
13,700
12,000
–
25,700
18,900
6,485
1,198
384
–
–
–
–
–
–
427,921
406
426,480
–
1,455
39
315
232
44
–
–
739
–
–
–
–
10
–
–
–
5,000
124
804
–
1,600
–
–
603
155
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
277,000
122,000
88,200
4,982
57,700
39,800
1,146
1,503
2,469
62,000
–
–
2,489
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
15,980
35,580
9,189
1,376
9,347
4,232
23,603
4,754
–
788
394
1,590
–
276
–
–
160
–
–
–
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
19
1
8
2
2
1
2
1
3
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
–
–
Middle East Tourist Board Social Media Index
Tourist Board pinterest Instagram youTubeGoogle+TwierFacebookCountry
Iran Travel and Touring Online
Ranking
languages
Followers
Empty fields reflect no data or profile available at the time
Qatar
Turkey
Dubai
Saudi arabia
uaE
Oman
Egypt
Jordan
Bahrain
lebanon
kuwait
Israel
Iran
yemen
Iraq
Syria
palestine
Qatar Airways
Turkish Airlines
Emirates
Saudiair
Etihad
Oman Air
Egyptair
Royal Jordanian
Gulf Air
Middle East Airlines
Kuwait Airways
El Al
Iran Air
Yemenia
Iraqi airways
Syrian Air
Palestinian Airlines
11,516,831
8,229,243
5,793,616
2,823,855
1,930,869
1,322,618
501,273
333,430
337,336
127,464
53,222
12,920
8,725
11,951
4,844
2542
118
916,000
1,210,000
692,000
675,000
416,000
176,000
44,400
198,000
21,600
5,859
38,700
16,700
3,021
–
133
–
1
77,793
2,355,711
3,591,653
496,004
426,630
–
873,626
–
3,983
–
2,024
62
678
–
10
–
–
17,500
–
924
808
1,000
–
–
–
124
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1,000,000
520,000
1,200,000
37,000
437,000
21,100
14,700
23,700
48,500
7,345
42,100
8,709
27,900
250
304
–
–
33,265
131,129
103,991
3,948
31,073
–
5,432
2050
1,843
–
–
1471
–
–
–
–
–
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
1
2
2
1
2
2
1
1
1
Middle East Airline Social Media Index
airline pinterest Instagram youTubeGoogle+TwierFacebookCountry
Ranking
languages
Followers
Empty fields reflect no data or profile available at the time
Dubai
Iraq
kuwait
abu Dhabi
lebanon
Qatar
Oman
Syria
Ras al khaimah
al ain
Iran
Bahrain
Turkey
Sharjah
Egypt
Fujairah
Jordan
palestine
Israel
Saudi arabia
yemen
Burj Al Arab
Babylon Hotel Warwick
Al Manshar Rotana Hotel
St Regis Abu Dhabi
La Cigale Hotel
The Chedi Muscat
Four Seasons Damascus
Rixos Bab Al Bahr
Al Ain Rotana Hotel
Abassi Hotel
Ritz Carlton Bahrain
Argos in Cappadocia
Hilton Sharjah
The Al Mashtal Gaza
King David Jerusalem
Hotel Al Khozama
Sheba Hotel
399,629
72,683
40,906
26,051
29,087
30,598
6,855
22,912
23,122
19,389
20,150
19,994
5,584
15,378
5,693
5,655
4,958
5,958
5,944
453
–
89,400
2,089
811
3,408
4,012
1,688
17,800
2,801
874
1,503
–
–
595
380
407
2,163
983
–
–
4,478
–
204
–
14
8
21
33
255
–
3
–
–
35
29
54
2
3
4
–
1
–
–
–
–
90
–
93
–
1,300
–
–
26
–
–
95
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
304,000
224
1,292
9,540
5,576
5,448
9,390
502
1,886
1,076
–
–
10,900
107
3,231
925
1,589
–
–
148
–
2,012
73
–
77
39
38
–
–
–
–
–
–
14
–
–
9
–
–
–
–
–
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
1
2
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
0
Middle East Hotels Social Media Index
Hotel pinterest Instagram youTubeGoogle+TwierFacebookCountry
IntercontinentalPhoenicia Beirut
Ranking
languages
Followers
Sofitel Legend OldCataract AswanLe Meridien Al AqahBeach Resort
Kempinski Hotel IshtarDead Sea
Empty fields reflect no data or profile available at the time
Bahrain
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
kuwait
lebanon
Oman
palestine
Qatar
Saudi arabia
Syria
Turkey
yemen
uaE inc:
Dubai
abu Dhbai
Sharjah
al ain
Ras al khaimah
Fujairah
170
281,582
691
0
257,305
645,976
146
154,807
25,712
2,475
607,379
778,467
0
5,989,454
1,981
3,940,569
1,297,946
31,594
0
154,899
6,147
17
7
16
19
8
5
18
10
12
14
6
4
19
1
15
2
3
11
19
9
13
Total Tourist BoardSocial Media Interactions
Cumulative
Ranking
413,386
1,439,431
12,445
5,291
39,862
557,180
136,046
140,668
1,519,618
119
13,561,389
4,036,615
2,542
12,446,083
12,201
10,182,184
3,242,572
2,804,572
2,804,572
2,804,572
2,804,572
10
8
14
16
13
9
12
11
7
18
1
4
17
2
15
3
5
6
6
6
6
Total airlineSocial Media Interactions
Cumulative
Ranking
20,029
9,333
20,150
75,069
5,945
7,534
4,3113
38,828
35,600
5,958
37,805
5,079
26,215
17,217
0
795,245
39,084
15,919
21,994
25,885
8,755
12
15
11
2
19
17
3
5
7
18
6
20
8
13
21
1
4
14
10
9
16
Total HotelSocial Media Interactions
Cumulative
Ranking
Country
Cumulative Social Media Figures
17
7
16
20
8
5
18
10
12
14
6
4
19
1
15
2
3
11
21
9
13
Overall
Ranking
SOURCE
$861 Billion
–
–
$805 Billion
$39 Billion
$227 Billion
$324 Billion
$321 Billion
–
$51 Billion
–
$82 Billion
–
$6.13 Billion1
$51 Billion
$417 Billion
$35 Billion
$181 Billion
$73 Billion2
$240 Billion
–
$440 Billion
78,214,000
–
–
31,521,000
6,837,000
2,113,000
90,253,760
8,372,000
–
4,288,000
–
4,181,000
–
4,683,000
26,745,000
78,778,000
1,781,000
4,161,000
23,270,000
36,575,000
–
9,348,000
1.34%
–
–
2.44%
2.75%
4.29%
2.29%
1.89%
–
3%
1.34%
5.13%
–
2.92%
2.95%
1.29%
7.35%
3%
2.45%
2.9%
–
15%
2014 39,811,000
2015 14,300,000
2014 3,200,000
2014 18,259,000
2014 3,990,000
2014 2,828,000
2014 9,628,000
2014 2,927,000
2014 1,900,000
2014 1,355,000
2014 1,200,000
2014 1,519,000
2014 1,300,000
2010 4,600,000
2013 990,000
2014 4,967,000
2014 10,452,000
2013 307,000
2010 5,070,000
2013 892,000
–
2014 21,900,000
5.06%
7.69%
12.50%
13.62%
1.12%
7.67%
4.72%
-1.19%
34.73%
5.97%
20.38%
8.36%
15.38%
43.47%
11.71%
3.98%
12.33%
2.28%
-18.34%
-24.55%
–
11.89%1 2013 latest figures2 2012 latest figures
GDp (2015 Estimate)Country Growth
annual TourismVisitorspopulation
populationGrowth
Middle East GDP, Population & Tourism Growth
Turkey
Dubai*
abu Dhabi*
Saudi arabia
Jordan
Qatar
Egypt
Israel
Ras al khaimah*
lebanon
Sharjah*
Oman
Fujairah*
palestine
yemen
Iran
Bahrain
kuwait
Syria
Iraq
al ain*
*uaE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Ranking
* Data included in UAE listing
Turkey
Dubai
abu Dhbai
Saudi arabia
Jordan
Qatar
Egypt
Israel
Ras al khaimah
lebanon
Sharjah
Oman
Fujairah
palestine
yemen
Iran
Bahrain
kuwait
Syria
Iraq
al ain
uaE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
19
19
VENDS Middle East Tourism Growth Vs. Ranking
annual Tourism GrowthCountry
Ranking
5.06%
7.69%
12.50%
13.62%
1.12%
7.67%
4.72%
-1.19%
34.73%
5.97%
20.38%
8.36%
15.38%
43.47%
11.71%
3.98%
12.33%
2.28%
-18.34%
-24.55%
Na
11.89%
Founded in January 2014 bydigital, travel and publishingentrepreneurs Graham andJustin Cooke – VENDS is theworld’s leading travel andtourism social media contentnetwork.
Our aim is to help brands and businessconnect directly with hundreds ofmillions of consumers through socialmedia.
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