UAE Union Day: Top 5 destinations for holidaymakers

Travellers from the UAE are opting for many lesser-known international destinations for this year’s 3-day weekend, National Day break.

This is according to data revealed by dnata Travel, which highlights how the top five international destinations for UAE-based travellers this year are Thailand, Maldives, Turkey, the US and Azerbaijan. Bookings to the UK, Switzerland, France, India and the Seychelles are also trending, says Dnata.

“As the most popular destination, Thailand is taking 15% of all dnata Travel bookings for the UAE National Day weekend. Bangkok, alongside the islands of Phuket and Krabi, are the top locations of choice,” says Dnata in a statement.

“Azerbaijan is a new entry for this time of the year in 2023, with bookings up 50% compared to the same period in 2022. The capital, Baku, is proving popular with UAE travellers for a city break closer to home,” Dnata adds.

The UAE travel company goes on to note that 80% of all its bookings this weekend are for international travel, with 20% for UAE “staycations”.

Most local stays are booked in Dubai, followed by Abu Dhabi and then Ras Al Khaimah, says dnata. Dubai-based dnata is one of the world’s largest air services providers offering ground handling, cargo, travel, and flight catering services across five continents.

Meanwhile, data from travel booking website Skyscanner has revealed the top 10 search terms that UAE residents have been searching for online, ahead of the National Day break. These 10 countries include the following:

1. India
2. UK
3. Philippines
4. Thailand
5. Saudi Arabia
6. Pakistan
7. Turkiye
8. Italy
9. Egypt
10. USA