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Sorenson...'travel bans are not good'

ME travellers to US drop 20pc, says Marriott CEO

DUBAI, April 11, 2017

Traveller numbers from the Middle East to the US has dipped 20 per cent, said a report citing the CEO of one of the world's largest hotel group.

Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of hotel group Marriott International, said that US President Donald Trump's travel bans on citizens from several Muslim countries were "not good", predicting a sizeable impact on discretionary leisure travel to the US, a report in Gulf Business said.

"Travel from Mexico is also down 10-20 per cent," he said.

The president of Dubai airline Emirates said last month that bookings to the US dropped 35 per cent overnight following the initial ban in January.

Adding to the greivance, the US banned from March 21 the use of electronic devices such as tablets and laptops on board any flight travelling from Middle East countries.

Most affected airlines, including Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, are now lending laptops to Business and First class passengers to help mitigate the disruption.

Marriott is keen to emphasise to the US administration that immigration and travel are “different things” and was hopeful for more constructive discussions on the subject, the report said.




Tags: Ban | Muslim | Marriott | travel | CEO | Trump | countries | Middle | East |

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