Visitors spend less

Spending by Arab tourists maintains downward trend through September 2011

Arab tourists’ spending fell in the first nine months of 2011 compared to the same period last year, according to Global Blue for Value-Added Tax (VAT) refunds.

The report, which only counts purchases whose VAT was claimed , shows that spending by tourists from Egypt dropped by 17 percent compared to the same period of 2010.

The figures show that spending by visitors from Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia dropped by six percent, five percent, and four percent, respectively, compared to the same period of last year.

The spending trend of Qatari tourists was relatively unchanged from the first nine months of 2010, dropping by a slight one percent.

Spending by tourists from the UAE and Syria rose by 17 percent and 12 percent, respectively, from the same period of 2010.

Visitors from the Saudi Arabia acquired the biggest share of VAT-refunded purchases, with 21 percent of the total spending. Tourists from the UAE were the next biggest spenders with a 12 percent share of the total. Spending by Kuwaiti, Syrian, and Egyptian tourists accounted for nine percent, eight percent, and five percent of the total spending respectively.