More than a quarter of a million people are expected to fly out of Kuwait for the upcoming Eid al-Adha holidays, revealed the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The DGCA said it based these numbers on the flight bookings between 8 and 17 of August.
Why do so many people leave Kuwait during major holidays, is a question that concerned authorities should be asking themselves. Despite Kuwait boasting of some leisure and entertainment venues and opportunities, most people and their families seem to enjoy similar facilities offered in Dubai, Bahrain or elsewhere in the region.
Figures from several travel and tourism surveys and by the World Tourism Organization indicate that when it comes to spending abroad during holidays, Kuwaitis are right there at the top. On average, Kuwaitis spend about US$2,910 per trip abroad, the average for the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as a whole is only around $1,770.
The numbers show that on average Kuwaitis spend around 11 percent of their income on travel, tourism and entertainment activities each year. This rate is the highest among the GCC states. Next in spending on tourism are Saudis who put aside 7 percent of their income for travel and leisure; this is followed by Qataris who spend 5.7 percent; Emiratis set aside 4.6 percent of their income; Omanis spend around 3.3 percent and Bahrainis set aside 2.1 percent of their income for leisure activities.
Data from the Central Bank of Kuwait confirms that Kuwaitis spend around $36 million on trips abroad annually. This figure includes travel, entertainment, shopping and other expenses abroad. The Central Bank pointed out that the spending abroad by citizens has been steady over the years and had not been impacted by the fall in oil prices that prevailed since mid-2014 until late 2016. Moreover, the spending pattern had been maintained despite there being no substantial increase in salaries in recent years, said the bank.
Staff Report
