Trending destinations for Middle East travellers in 2024; see list

Wego, the online travel marketplace and travel app for flight bookings and searches, revealed the list of global destinations that are popular with Middle East travellers, on May 6, the first day of the Arabian Travel Market 2024.

The insights were based on flight and hotel data from Wego users for the first four months of the year.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have once again asserted their dominance as the top global destinations for international travel among MENA travellers in 2024, retaining their respective number one and two positions.

India held steady as the third most preferred destination for Middle Eastern travellers.

Top source markets

Egypt and India are both major source markets for foreign talent and labour for the Gulf region and have consistently held the top spots for international air travel. Going as far back as 2014, Egypt has consistently either come in at number one or two, with India invariably taking the third spot since 2016, Wego revealed.

While the top positions remained relatively stable, there were notable movements within the top 10 and beyond. Pakistan notably gained traction, climbing two spots in the rankings.

Additionally, Russia experienced a significant jump of nine spots globally, signaling its growing appeal among Middle Eastern travellers.

Popular regional rivalries

In the Middle East, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE maintained their positions at the top, with Pakistan making a notable advancement to the fourth spot.

Qatar and Oman also saw gains, reflecting ongoing shifts in regional travel preferences.

Commenting on the trends, Mamoun Hmedan, chief business officer at Wego, said: “We are excited to see Egypt emerge as the leading destination for travellers in the MENA region during Q1 2024.

“According to Wego’s data, Egypt stands out as a favored choice among travelers seeking unique cultural experiences and diverse attractions. Meanwhile, the UK retains its position as the preferred European destination for Middle Eastern travellers.”

European destinations that lead the list

The UK continues to reign as the dominant European destination for Middle East travellers, with Italy rapidly gaining ground and securing the second position.

Italy, among the most popular tourist countries in the world, has continuously been among the top ten European destinations for Middle East travellers, 2024 is the first year that the reached the top three, coming in at number two.

While Eastern European countries such as Azerbaijan and Georgia experienced slight declines in popularity, larger Western European markets saw gains, indicating a broader trend of European destinations reclaiming traction.

Asian destinations that are popular choices

Thailand maintained its position as the top Asia Pacific destination for MENA travellers, solidifying its lead over Indonesia.

Vietnam made a notable advancement, overtaking South Korea in the rankings.

A recurring trend from 2023 persisted in 2024, with closer, regional destinations gaining favor over more distant ones.

Countries such as Morocco, Indonesia, and the US experienced declines in rankings, while regional destinations like Kuwait, Pakistan, and Jordan continued to ascend.

In 2024, Qatar broke into top 10 for the first time taking the place of Morocco which dropped two notches down to number 12.