Almosafer Capitalises on Saudi Traveller Interest in London

Almosafer.com, the Saudi homegrown online travel platform which offers a seamless booking experience for over one million hotels and flights on over 450 airlines, is capitalising on continued interest in London from its Saudi customers with tailored content and hotel offerings.

London remains a top destination for people flying in from Saudi Arabia; with Almosafer experiencing a 143% increase in visits to London from January until November 2018, a trend buoyed by a promotional partnership with Visit Britain and extended holiday periods for travellers from the Kingdom.

With an average length of stay around 7 nights, London continues to present itself as a prime destination for Saudi travellers. Families, couples and groups of friends are keen to make the most of their vacation time and plan their trip in advance, with an average booking window of 38 days. They also spend accordingly on stays in predominantly high-end properties with 4* (58%) and 5* (28%) ratings.

Additional insights show that 40% of all hotel bookings are being placed within a 1km radius of park lane, identifying shopping as a key determining factor in the decision making and travel booking process. 

Based on this and further research conducted by Almosafer, the platform has identified ‘top pick hotels’, catering to the different needs of Saudis visiting London, to make the booking process more seamless for travellers. Six distinct categories in hotel search results now represent traveller interests from shopping preferences, to budget and family-friendliness, as well as the proximity to tourist attractions. Strategic marketing campaigns targeting either of these interests have been rolled out and will continue to promote London as a destination into 2019.

Muzzammil Ahussain, EVP of Almosafer said on the developments for the London travel market: “London has long been a popular destination for Saudi travellers and we are impressed that the momentum and growth of the market continues to accelerate. In order to support this, we continue to invest and focus our products and offerings, to make travel to London easier for our valued customers and will continue to look at all opportunities to support the travel demand.”

In 2019, Almosafer expects the London trend to further gain traction. The OTA is working on further making London more accessible through a focus on affordable hotel choices in London and neighbouring cities. Detailed city guides on the top things to do, places to eat and key tourist & shopping attractions for KSA travellers will also add to the overall ‘London experience’ for Almosafer users.