Women-only hotels surfacing in Middle East
An emerging trend in the Middle East: women-only hotels.
So says World Travel Market Global Trends Report 2009. A major reason: hoteliers are trying to capitalize on a growing young female population.
“The concept of women-only hotels is an expansion of some operators, hoteliers, and other suppliers offering single-sex packages and products such as female floors in hotels and women-only tours,” the report says.
Saudi Arabia is leading the way with the first women-only hotel, Luthan Hotel & Spa.
Egypt and Iran are also key target markets for female-only concepts especially with women accounting for almost half of the total population in 2008.
In destinations such as these, where cultures are conservative, women-only concepts are likely to appeal to Middle-Eastern women and westerners who want the additional reassurance, says the World Travel Market Global Trends Report.
The report predicts the concept could be broadened in appeal in less-conservative destinations by linking it to health and wellness and including the spa element.
Additional opportunities also lie in medical tourism, as well as backpacking and adventure tourism for both regional tourists and westerners in destinations such as Oman, Yemen, Jordan, and Syria.
Said World Travel Market chairman Fiona Jeffery:
“The women-only trend could really catch-on for many people who are traveling on business, looking for the health and wellness element or just want some time away from hectic lives balancing work and home lives.”
The report was done in association with Euromonitor International.
By David Wilkening
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