Gulf Hotels’ Peak Season Stalls as Travelers Wait Out the U.S. Midterms

Photo Credit: Dubai's Love Lake in Al Qudra. Dubai Media Office Gulf hotels are entering their peak season well behind last year. Leisure travelers are holding off on bookings until after Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections, and some are canceling outright. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would not launch an attack on Iran before the November 3 vote. Iran has not attacked the UAE since May, but the country bore the brunt of Iranian missile and drone strikes in March. Operators say guests now fear a new round of attacks once the election passes. “Is Q4 as good as what we thought in August? No, it’s not,” said Saurabh Tiwari, vice president for the Middle East, Maldives and Sri Lanka at hotel group IHCL, which operates the Taj brand. “Leisure travelers are waiting and watching until after the U.S. midterm elections. They are thinking twice before booking their tickets, also influenced by the high airfares.” Ali Siddiqui, research manager at consultancy Cavendish Maxwell, expects Dubai visitor numbers