Dnata Travel’s UAE head reveals outbound travel trends for 2026

Sign up to our newsletters

Stay informed with the
latest news and analysis

REGISTER

عربي

You are viewing 1 of your 2 free articles

Dnata Travel’s Head of Retail and Leisure UAE, Meerah Ketait

Dubai-based Dnata Travel has identified the destinations tipped to be among the most sought-after for UAE travellers in 2026. In addition to long-standing favourites, emerging hotspots including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Tanzania and Finland are on the rise as travellers seek out new and memorable experiences.

Dnata Travel’s latest insights says the 10 most popular destinations for UAE travellers in 2025 is topped by the Maldives, where December bookings rose by more than 100% year-on-year. Other favourites in the top tier include France, Thailand, the UK, Spain, Seychelles, Mauritius, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Italy.

“Those that have witnessed the most growth in 2025 are France with a 57% rise in bookings year-on-year, the Seychelles with 40%, and Saudi Arabia up 35%,” Dnata Travel’s Head of Retail and Leisure UAE, Meerah Ketait, told Connecting Travel.

Looking ahead, Ketait highlighted Sri Lanka’s growing appeal, citing its “extensive itineraries for exploration", combining beaches, vibrant cities and wildlife encounters, alongside being "excellent value for money".

Sri Lanka is trending as a destination for UAE travellers in 2026

She added that Azerbaijan continues to attract strong interest, supported by increased air connectivity to Baku from multiple UAE carriers, with a flight time of around three hours from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

However, established favourites remain strong contenders in the year ahead too. “Early booking data suggests sustained demand for the Maldives, France, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and Japan,” Ketait said. She noted that family travel and short getaways are expected to surge around the Eid al-Fitr holidays and school breaks in March 2026.

Further afield, safari holidays in South Africa and Tanzania are seeing renewed momentum, while in Europe, travellers are increasingly choosing Switzerland, Austria and Finland over traditional hotspots.

Dnata, Visa target GCC elite with new luxury travel benefits

Expedia unveils top 10 trending winter destinations for UAE travellers

The trend aligns with Musafir research indicating that 49% of UAE travellers are now seeking to explore lesser-visited destinations such as Salalah in Oman, Abha in Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Armenia and Morocco – underlining a growing appetite for new experiences beyond the familiar favourites.

These were the top 10 most popular destinations for UAE travellers throughout 2025:

1 Maldives

2 France

3 Thailand

4 UK

5 Spain

6 Seychelles

7 Mauritius

8 Turkey

9 Saudi Arabia

10 Italy

For more information, visit dnatatravel.com