Amsterdam among Europe's top five Mid East outbound tourism destinations in two years say industry experts

Harriet Koopman, General Manager of the Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam Airport, part of the fast growing Brussels based Rezidor Hotel Group, says hoteliers are already seeing a healthy increase in Middle East occupancy levels and expects the trend to continue.

"Amsterdam is known as one of the world's most colourful and vibrant cities, with a plethora of areas of interest. Its rich history, museums, markets, festivals, vibrant nightlife, cobbled streets, canals and bridges make the Dutch capital one of the most attractive cities in Europe for tourists to visit," she said.

"We're now seeing a strong increase from the Middle East MICE market and leisure travellers particularly from the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia."

Radisson SAS has a strong presence in Amsterdam with a hotel in the city and the airport.
Radisson SAS Hotel Amsterdam Airport has 279 rooms, 15 state-of-the-art meeting and events facilities that can cater for up to 900 guests. The hotel in the city has 242 rooms, eight meeting rooms and is close to the main tourist attractions, museums, theatres, shopping areas and the business district.

Rezidor is now looking to roll out its multi-brand strategy in the country and plans to introduce its mid-market property, Park Inn and its luxury brand Regent Hotels.

"There will be more international chains opening up new properties in the city and an increase in inbound tour operators here serving the GCC market," added Koopman.

And the country's national air carrier, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines says it's also aggressively looking at a Middle East expansion strategy over the next12 months to cater for growing demand.

"We will be increasing our seats by 15% from Dammam, Doha and Tehran over the next six months due to a fleet renewal program, replacing the Boeing 767 aircraft with a new Airbus A330-200" said Richard Oliver, General Manager - Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan, KLM.

"This year we increased flight frequencies from Dubai to Amsterdam, from once a day to 12 times a week. We are now also exploring new Gulf routes."

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines currently flies from seven cities in the Gulf and Iran to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, 43 times a week.