Dubai has become a favorite destination for Russian tourists over other global destinations and most of them prefer hotels near beaches or shopping areas, said a new study.

It was conducted by Hayk Mkhitaryan, an MBA student at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality and was based on personal interviews with general managers and sales and marketing directors in 17 different five-star hotels in Dubai.

Conducted this year, the research showed most of the Russian tourists also prefered to stay in a comfortable environment with Russian-speaking employees and have very high expectations of the service quality.

The main purpose of the research was to identify the most influential factors which Russian customers considered when selecting a five-star hotel in Dubai, said Mkhitaryan.

Traditionally, Dubai has been a very popular destination for Russian tourists, who have always preferred it in comparison to other luxurious destinations, he stated.

The study revealed that Russian customers tend to choose internationally-known hotel brands, which are well established.

“They are also very interested in the location of the hotel and its proximity to the beach, and shopping areas. Most of them prefer to stay in a comfortable environment with Russian speaking employees, and have very high expectations of the service quality,” he added.

The study revealed that the Russian clientele was a very profitable segment of the 5-star hotel market in the UAE.

It showed that Russians tend to go on vacation with their families, have a longer average stay, and are usually good spenders compared to other customers.

"Their sensitivity to prices is usually low, and they highly value the quality of service and prefer to get good value for their money," stated Mkhitaryan in the study.

According to him, these findings can help hoteliers in the region to better understand the needs of their Russian clientele and further improve the quality of their services.

In this way, Dubai’s 5-star hotels will be able to increase their revenues and contribute to the overall growth of Dubai’s travel and tourism industry, he added.-TradeArabia News Service