However, as evident from the all-round growth across the Middle East, budget alternatives attract travellers of all kinds, especially those visiting for business purposes.

According to Mitchell, there are two core types of budget customers; those travelling on business who are price conscious due to travel policies within their respective organisations, and those who choose destinations for leisure and are sensitive towards the disposal of their personal income.

“Typically, a budget traveller is [...] predominantly a business traveller with high frequency of visits with an allocated travel budget,” pinpointed Jaya Bhushan Patnaik, general manager, La Villa Hospitality, who identified Africa, South America, China and the Far East, excluding Oceania, as the company’s main markets for its properties in Doha and Dubai.

Accordingly, some hotels, including ibis Muscat, specifically target corporate guests.

“Since inauguration, we have focussed on business travel from a global platform,” highlighted Mohamed, though he noted that the property markets towards the leisure segment as well.