Fairmont Raffles Hotels International Makkah (FRHI), the operator of a portfolio of leading Middle East five-star hotels, has announced its participation at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai.

ATM, a leading travel and tourism exhibition, will take place from April 30 to May 3 at the Dubai International Exhibition and Conference Centre.

A delegation of senior executives will represent FRHI Makkah will offer an insight into the strategically important role their properties are playing Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning religious tourism market through its trio of unique five-star properties, and plans for future growth.

ATM visitors will also be able to enjoy a flavour of FRHI Makkah’s premier guest services and acclaimed FRHI hospitality, a statement said.

Khaled Yamak, Group director of Communications & Business Development, FRHI Makkah, said: “With our properties affording unrivalled views of, and access to, the Holy Ka’aba and the Masjid al-Haram – the holiest sites in Islam – our central Makkah location is ideal for pilgrims and Umrah performers visiting the city to fulfil their spiritual duties.

“In fact, our properties - offering 2,600 rooms and suites – make-up 40 per cent of accommodation options in the central Makkah area. Furthermore, our average occupancies for our two operating hotels peaked at 90 per cent in the first quarter of 2012 – the highest to date since opening.”

The FHRI Makkah hotels represent three internationally-renowned brands – Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel – each of which delivers a unique experience, and come together to offer an elegant collection of accommodation options to suit every individual guest.

“Makkah Clock Royal Tower, A Fairmont Hotel is a landmark presence integrated into the surrounding community; Raffles Makkah Palace offers sophisticated luxury with residential charm; and Swissôtel Makkah delivers efficient personalised service with a contemporary ambience,” remarked Yamak.

“With continued growth forecast for the Muslim populace, as well as increasing demand from Hajj and Umrah travellers – who currently account for more than 60 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s inbound tourist traffic – we are focusing on delivering a consistently high-level of quality-driven guest services for both international and domestic travellers,” Yamak noted.

“To support this, we are constantly innovating and adding services to our trio of hotels. We recently introduced the Fairmont Gold initiative at the Makkah Clock Royal Tower which further personalises the guest experience.

“We’ve also just opened the new 1,500-capacity Al Jiwar Ballroom, and launched our new residential apartments at Raffles Makkah Palace which ensure spiritual serenity for our guests,” Yamak added.

According to research company Business Monitor International (BMI), inbound visitor arrivals to Saudi Arabia will grow from 13 million in 2010 to 15.8 million by 2014.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) aims to attract 88 million visitors by 2020 as it continues to drive forward ambitious plans to develop religious tourism, domestic tourism and business travel in particular.

Saudi Arabia issued 9.5 million religious visas last year, up 11.3 per cent from 2010, according to the Ministry of Hajj website, with Umrah visas rising by one million in 2011 from 2010.

With nearly two million foreign pilgrims arriving to perform Haj in 2011, both the Saudi government and major developers are expected to spend up to $120 billion in the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah over the next decade, with some $20 billion of projects already underway in Makkah alone, according to Banque Saudi Fransi. – TradeArabia News Service