Where are EMEA travellers flying to? Visa-free destinations for UAE residents

With most GCC countries offering over 5-days of paid public holiday for the Eid al Fitr holiday, families are taking advantage of the extended break to travel to popular destinations, especially to visa-free countries.

Global travel leader Skyscanner, in its latest report, has highlighted the changing booking patterns, destination preferences, and trending travel hotspots across the EMEA region.

It highlights the increasing confidence among travelers to plan ahead. Compared to the previous year, travelers across EMEA are booking their trips further in advance, signaling a return to traditional seasonality in 2024, says Skyscanner‘s Horizons report.

The data shows a significant uptick in trips booked with greater lead times, particularly in the 60-89 day and 90+ day booking windows.

Regional preferences

EMEA travelers are exhibiting a strong preference for exploring Europe, with a significant 53 per cent opting for European destinations, marking a 4 per cent increase from the previous year.

According to Skyscanner’s report for 2024, there is a growing demand among UAE and Saudi travelers for cultural experiences, with many European capital cities trending for 2024.

Italy, renowned for its monuments and cuisine, emerges as one of the most alluring holiday destinations, appearing multiple times on Saudi’s top trending destinations list.

Shorter trip lengths

The report also notes a trend of slightly shorter trip lengths for many popular destinations across all regions, with average trip lengths either down or remaining flat year-on-year.

Spanish and Greek destinations dominate as the most popular searched destinations on Skyscanner, with Bangkok, New York City, and Sydney also retaining their popularity for long-haul travel.

Ayoub El Mamoun, Skyscanner Travel Expert, remarked, “Our latest Horizon insights reveal a travel landscape that is both familiar and evolving. While traditional seasonality is returning and popular destinations remain in demand, travelers are also seeking value and exploring options closer-to-home. Across Skyscanner’s platforms, we have seen incredible demand at the start of the year and expect this trend to continue as we head into the summer.”

Trending destinations

Among the most notable findings are the destinations experiencing significant year-on-year increases in search volumes, reflecting a mix of travellers’ desire to explore new places and destinations with new route connections.

The following destinations witnessed substantial growth in search volume among EMEA travelers, reported Skyscanner.