A combination of 150 million "new travelers" from the emerging countries of China and India and the continued expansion of Middle East carriers present the Middle East with a unique opportunity to be a "game changer" in the global travel and tourism industry. Add to these ingredients the rich cultural and religious heritage of the Middle East, a young population and substantial investment in tourism infrastructure in the GCC led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, and the stage is set for the region to emerge as a preferred destination for travel and tourism globally.

The key to the Middle East achieving a "game changer" status will be its response to the seven drivers determining success through 2015 and beyond. Hospitality 2015 predicts these to be: The emerging markets of China and India, which will continue to be the key hospitality markets, and according to the report, by 2015 these countries will have absolute year-on-year tourism growth greater than the United Kingdom, France or Japan. The growth of these outbound markets, coupled with the route networks of Middle East carriers, will present the Middle East tourism industry with exceptional opportunities for growth.

Alex Kyriakidis, global managing partner of tourism hospitality & leisure at Deloitte, said: "In the emerging markets, the rise of the middle classes will drive significant new demand for both leisure and business hospitality. The greatest future potential in these markets will lie in developing mid-market and economy-branded products aimed at the domestic traveler and in promoting the Middle East as a cultural destination."

In 2015 and beyond there will be two key demographic drivers of change in the industry, which will create new patterns of travel and demand in the West, and important new source markets in the East — the aging baby boomer population, and the emerging middle classes of China and India.

"Hospitality operators who understand the drives and needs of these growing demographics will reap the rewards and become the future leaders in the industry," Kyriakidis added.

By 2015, US boomers are forecasted to account for 60 percent of the nation's wealth and 40 percent of spending.

Robert O'Hanlon, partner in charge of tourism hospitality and leisure at Deloitte in the Middle East said, "US baby boomers will drive growth in hospitality in the leisure sector. The key to attracting boomers is appealing to their ‘forever young’ attitude and desire for experiential travel. The substantial investment being made in tourism infrastructure in the Middle East in experience based tourism will be key to capturing this high end market.”

The middle classes of China and India will also create ripples of change far into the future as their travel patterns evolve from domestic to regional to international. India alone is forecasted to have 50 million outbound tourists by 2020.