Tag Archives: outbound travel

According to the latest report from Skyscanner ahead of the Oman national day long weekend it was revealed that India emerged as the top destination country, with Mumbai leading as the most popular city. This trend is driven by the strong cultural and familial ties between Oman and India, as well as the diverse attractions that Mumbai offers. Oman itself ranked second, with Muscat being a favored destination, reflecting the growing interest in domestic travel and the rich cultural heritage of the capital city. The UAE, particularly the city of Dubai, continues to attract travelers from Oman due to its proximity and the allure of its luxury shopping, entertainment, and modern architecture. Thailand, with Phuket as a key destination, appeals to travelers seeking exotic beaches and vibrant street life. Türkiye and Egypt, with Istanbul and Cairo respectively, are seeing increased interest for their historical sites and unique cultural experiences. Italy and the United Kingdom round out the top ten, being perennial favorites for their rich history and cultural offerings. Based on the orders of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Wednesday and Thursday, November 20-21, 2024, have been declared official holidays for public and private sector employees to commemorate the 54th National Day. The data, collected from January 1, 2024, to November 1, 2024, highlights the most popular destinations and significant year-over-year (YoY) increases in search and redirect volumes, providing valuable insights for travelers planning their holiday getaways. Emerging travel hotspots with remarkable YoY search increases include Giza (1241%), driven by its iconic pyramids and historical significance, and Mopa (369%), likely due to new travel routes and increased accessibility. Yangon (268%) and Pristina (220%) are gaining popularity for their unique …

Generation X, those people born between 1965 and 1980 – are leading the significant growth in outbound travel from the GCC countries, according to findings by New York headquartered Research Nester. The report highlights numerous reasons why this generation has a dominant share of the GCC’s outbound market, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabian markets. The GCC outbound market is forecast to grow exponentially over the next five years, driven by Gen X travellers, according to recent research, says Arabian Travel Market (ATM) which takes place from 6-9 May at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Commenting on the report, Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director, Arabian Travel Market said, “Within an age range of approximately 43 years to 58 years, many Gen Xers hold senior positions within companies and as such tend to travel overseas regularly on business trips. “In addition, with responsibility comes reward and therefore many have high earning potential and disposable income. Many successful entrepreneurs at this stage in their careers also have built significant wealth and can afford to travel frequently. “Many industry commentators are focused on Millennial and Gen Z travelers, but it is perfectly logical that Gen X would dominate the GCC outbound market value given the region’s demographics, particularly expatriate senior management.” Members of Gen X are also changing their lifestyles, with considerable numbers now looking for a more sustainable work life balance. This often means spending more leisure time with their families, including holidays and combining business with leisure, which is significantly growing the bleisure segment of travel. To illustrate these points, Gen X will be responsible for $11.1 billion, 41% of Saudi Arabia’s total outbound market value of $27 billion by 2028 …

Efficient air connectivity between the UAE and China witnessed over one million travellers from China in 2019. Post pandemic as the region awaits the return of Chinese travellers, “many Chinese now look for new destinations, they can include Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia etc.” shared Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, CEO China Outbound Tourism Research Institute and CEO Meaningful Tourism Center  with TBN at a recent interview. He further reiterated, “after three long years, China’s borders opened up again in early 2023. Business travellers and students started to go abroad immediately, leisure tourists had to renew their passports and in many cases are currently waiting for the processing of their visa application. Not more than half of the air routes from and to China have been re-established and air ticket prices are only slowly falling. As a result, in the first half of 2023, China’s outbound travel restarted slower than expected: Less than 25 million Chinese crossed the border, compared to 90 million in the first half of 2019.  Fortunately, all surveys and forward booking numbers show that the 100 million Chinese citizens affluent enough to travel long distance and the 200 million Chinese who can afford a trip within the region are eager and willing to spend their travel budgets as soon as it becomes possible again. In 2024 China will be again the No. 1 international tourism source market in the world. However, the needs and expectations as well as travel motivations and behaviour changed profoundly during the pandemic, with shopping, package tours and sightseeing losing out to activities, authentic experiences, local culture and gastronomy, special interest tours and the discovery of new destinations.”