Arab
News, Monday, Nov 28, 2022 | Jamadi Al Awwal 4, 1444
Middle East Asia-Pacific to account for 58% of global air passengers by 2040: ACI
RIYADH: Air passenger demand is likely to double globally over the next 20
years, with Asia-Pacific and the Middle East accounting for 58 percent of the
volume, according to a report by Airports Council International.
Global passenger numbers are forecast to rise from 9.2 billion in 2019 to about
19 billion in 2040 predicted the ACI Asia-Pacific's Airport Industry Outlook, a
quarterly assessment of the airports' performances.
Of this volume, Middle Eastern airports are expected to handle 1.1 billion
passengers by 2040 – a significant increase of nearly 300 percent of the
combined traffic of 505 million they handled in 2019.
ACI Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific Stefano Baronci said that the region
must prepare itself for the oncoming influx: "The consistent improvement in
passenger volumes in the region is a positive indication of a sustained recovery
of the industry following prolonged efforts towards rebuilding passenger
confidence in air travel."
He said restoring international connectivity will take longer and will be partly
dependent on the decision of China to re-connect to the World. "The
macroeconomic headwinds, less acute in Asia than other western regions, should
not hamper a process of growth, subject to continue to maintain the freedom to
travel without restrictions."
"All the stakeholders engaged in the aviation ecosystem must prepare to the
surge in traffic,” insisted the ACI director general.
The Middle East is an ideally located axis for travel — aircraft flying from the
geographical crossroads can reach almost all of Asia, Africa, and Europe within
eight hours.
Tourism is one of the pillars of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, to contribute to
diversifying the base of the national economy, attracting investments,
increasing sources of income, and providing job opportunities for citizens, as
the sector is witnessing rapid growth as a result of plans to promote the
tourism sector.
Last month, a report by the World Tourism Organization listed Saudi Arabia as
top of the Group of 20 countries for the flow rating of international tourists
in the first seven months of 2022.
The report, released during the G20 tourism ministers’ meeting held in Bali,
Indonesia, did not detail the exact number of travelers who visited the Kingdom,
but claimed the sector saw a growth rate of 121 percent in the first half of
2022.
During the event, Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said the
surge in tourist inflow aligns with the Kingdom’s economic diversification
policies and aims to increase tourism’s contribution to the country’s gross
domestic product, as outlined in Vision 2030, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Calling Saudi Arabia one of the fastest-growing markets for tourism, Al-Khateeb
said the Kingdom’s tourism sector is accelerating at a rate of 14 percent
compared to the pre-coronavirus pandemic period.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 450,000 tourist visas were issued, since the
Kingdom’s Tourism Authority launched the tourist visa program in 2019, by
targeting 49 countries in the initial stage, and facilitated access to tourist
visas electronically or through entry points to the Kingdom within specific
regulatory controls.
Earlier in June, Al-Khateeb said that Saudi Arabia has allocated $100 million to
provide training for 100,000 people to work in the tourism and sustainability
sector.
He added that 90 hotels were launched in the Kingdom as a part of its tourism
strategy, and more hotels will be opened soon, with 70 percent being funded by
the private sector.
Al-Khateeb, in June, told AFP that the Kingdom is hoping to attract 12 million
foreign visitors in 2022, up from the 4 million tourists who visited Saudi
Arabia in 2021.
“Saudi Arabia will change the tourism landscape globally. The destinations that
Saudi will offer by 2030, it’s something completely different,” he said.