Egypt, India, Saudi Arabia Remain Top Travel Choices For Middle Eastern Travellers

Travel plans across the Middle East took a hit this year after airspace closures disrupted flights, but travellers did not stop looking for holidays. Data from Wego shows that bookings from the six Gulf countries dropped sharply, yet travel searches stayed steady.

Egypt, India and Saudi Arabia continued to hold the top three spots. Interestingly, Egypt has remained number one for the 12th year in a row, since 2015.

Pakistan and UAE took fourth and fifth places on the list. Bangladesh moved into the top eight destinations. Nepal recorded the largest rise as it climbed eight places and ranked 21st. China, Vietnam, Sudan and Kenya also moved up by seven places each. Indonesia moved up two spots to 12th place. Tunisia and Sri Lanka also rose four places up in the ranking.

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Several destinations moved down as well. Azerbaijan saw the biggest fall, now standing at 33rd. The United States fell to 24th. Japan, Austria and Poland also declined.

In a statement, Ross Veitch, CEO and Co-Founder of Wego, said, “Travel demand in the Middle East proved far more resilient this year than the headlines suggested. When airspace closed, people did not stop planning trips — searches held steady even as bookings halved. What travellers lost was the ability to fly, not the intention to. Access, not appetite, sets the ceiling on destination performance in this region.”

“The second shift matters just as much. The Gulf market and Gulf nationals are two different audiences with two different maps, and a single corridor between Saudi Arabia and Egypt now carries almost a fifth of all travel abroad by Gulf nationals. The destinations that plan around that distinction will win share from those still treating the region as one audience.”

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After the disruptions, bookings slowly improved and returned by May, but regular summer travel patterns returned in July.