Tag Archives: destinations

According to a new report released by Kearney titled: “In the mind of global travelers: how travelers’ evolving expectations are reshaping tourism” which explores preferences and priorities as international tourism traffic is poised to outpace pre-pandemic levels this year. The Middle East, for example, is well poised to capitalize on this given the visionary projects and substantial investments in tourism infrastructure being made. “Tourism in the Middle East is still in its early stages and it takes time to build a strong reputation, so it’s encouraging to see emerging destinations like the Red Sea coastline, the Albanian Riviera, Patagonia, and Lijiang making tourists’ shortlists. This suggests that with continuous asset development and strategic marketing, countries in the region can position themselves as increasingly desirable global destinations,” commented Pascal Armoudom, Partner at Kearney Middle East & Africa. It was stated that emerging destinations are gaining ground on travelers’ preferred lists, signaling a significant shift in global tourism trends. The report released at the Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai highlights that while travelers still prefer iconic destinations, over-tourism remains a growing concern, presenting promising opportunities for emerging markets. When looking into evolving preferences, travelers are favoring destinations that offer both leisure and urban experiences. Sun, sea and lifestyle remain the top choice, with Dubai coming in fourth globally after Miami, Bahamas, and the Maldives. There is a notable shift towards ecotourism as more globetrotters – particularly millennials – seek sustainable experiences that connect them with nature while minimizing environmental impact. A significant 86% of respondents aged 25-34 expressed a strong preference for tourism destinations minimizing environmental impact, looking for green mobility at their destination, and supporting eco-friendly accommodations. This trend presents an enormous opportunity …

Wego revealed its regular “Middle East Traveller Destination Leaderboard” that showcases the relative popularity of global destinations with Middle East travellers. Wego users search for tens of millions of trips each quarter and it’s this flight and hotel data that has been analysed to determine the relative destination rankings. The leaderboard announced today covers the first quarter of 2023. Global Destination Trends Egypt retains its #1 position as the top destination for international travel for MENA travellers in Q1 2023. “We are excited to share our MENA destination report for this quarter. Our data shows that Egypt remains the top destination of choice for MENA travelers for what the country offers from a mix of history, culture, and adventure for every type of traveler. We also observe that the UK continues to rank as the top European destination out of the Middle East. At Wego, we are proud to connect travelers with the best of the countries, and we look forward to continuing to work with leading partners to promote their unique tourism offerings”, said Mamoun Hmedan, CCO and MD, MENA, and India, Wego. Rounding up the top three is India. The country is a major source market for foreign talent and labor for the Gulf region and has consistently held the top spots for international air travel. Going as far back as 2014, Egypt has consistently been either #1 or #2 and India has invariably taken the #3 spot since 2016. As is usually the case, we saw more movements in the bottom half of the top 10 with Kuwait overtaking Turkey for the 5th spot and Jordan moving up two spots to rank 8th overall. The lone rank …

On World Tourism Day, Google is launching two free tools to help the travel industry in the Middle East and North Africa identify timely travel demand and make better-informed decisions. The tools are launched under the ‘Travel Insights with Google’ website which includes two new tools available in both English and in Arabic; Destination Insights and Hotel Insights. According to Google Trends, people in Saudi Arabia searched for many countries in the past 8 months including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Thailand the UAE and the UK (London in particular). Additionally, searches from Saudi Arabia for “booking tickets” this year have increased 153% compared to previous year. In the UAE, according to Google Trends, people searched for local entertainment destinations in the past 8 months including the Dubai Fountain and Dubai Butterfly Garden, as well as hotels located locally in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, searches from UAE for “ticket prices” this year have increased 122% compared to previous year. These and similar insights can be helpful for businesses to connect with people searching to travel and plan their campaigns. By leveraging the tools, businesses in the travel and tourism industry can discover insights to reach global travelers, whether they are departing or arriving in MENA, at every stage of their journey, from dreaming about their next travel destination, to booking flights and hotels. Destination Insights The Destination Insights tool will give travel businesses, governments and tourism boards a clear picture of the top sources of demand for a destination, and the destinations within their countries that travelers are most interested in visiting. It also allows businesses to explore how tourism demand is changing, compared to previous months’ or years’ demand and adjust marketing …

Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council, the #DubaiDestinations initiative is continuing its campaign with a focus on highlighting the city’s exceptional experiences, and exciting events and activities during the summer. The campaign encourages Dubai’s diverse community to discover the city’s unique destinations in the summer and enjoy its distinctive offerings ranging from beach activities, dining and family-friendly activities at hotels, to waterparks, water sports adventures and indoor entertainment that capture the essence of Dubai’s summer experience. The initiative aims to create and disseminate to local, regional and global audiences engaging content that highlights Dubai’s unique character and identity as well as its emergence as the world’s best place to live and visit. The current season of the #DubaiDestinations campaign, running until the end of August, brings together a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders to showcase the emirate’s various exciting experiences. Key partners in the campaign include: the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai; Dubai Municipality; the Roads and Transport Authority; the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; Dubai Sports Council; Dubai Ladies Club; Emaar; Dubai Holding; Nakheel Properties; Majid Al Futtaim Group; and Merex Investment Office. Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Vice Chairperson and Managing Director of the Dubai Media Council and Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO), said: “Since its launch, the #DubaiDestinations campaign has focused on highlighting the quintessential Dubai experience and its uniqueness as a destination that offers a range of experiences that meet the tastes and interests of people across ages and nationalities. With the focus now on Dubai’s various summer destinations, the campaign will …