Marriott reveals 2025 trends for UAE...

Heritage holidays, AI-assisted trips and ‘bravecations’ all high on the agenda

Marriott Bonvoy’s 2025 Ticket to Travel report says 54% of travellers from the UAE and 53% from Saudi Arabia plan to travel more in 2025 compared to 2024.

UAE and Saudi travellers said that they plan to go on 2.7 domestic holidays and also plan to take 2.3 short- or mid-haul holidays with a four-hour flight or less, as well as 2.1 long-haul holidays.

Just 10% in the UAE and 7% in Saudi said they planned to travel less.

The survey, of 4,700 travellers in the UAE and KSA, was part of wider research conducted across 10 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East (EMEA).

“According to the figures from this comprehensive report, the vast majority of travellers across the UAE and Saudi Arabia will do as many, or more, holidays and breaks in 2025, than they did in 2024,” said Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East & Luxury, Europe, Middle East & Africa.

“This strong desire for international, regional and domestic travel is great news for the industry and we are excited for the year ahead.”

As well as frequency of travel, the survey highlighted emerging travel trends including heritage holidays and ‘bravecations, plus a desire for better value deals and sustainability.

Heritage Holidays
Almost half (49%) of people surveyed in the UAE said they had already taken a heritage holiday to explore their family history, with 47% saying they plan to do so in 2025. In total, eight out of 10 people across the UAE and Saudi have or plan to take a heritage holiday, a number that’s even higher for those aged 25 to 34.

Marriott survey of UAE and Saudi travellers

Bravecations
Perhaps unsurprisingly, travellers are more likely to get outside of their comfort zone while on holiday, and 83% of those from Saudi and 80% from the UAE say they are looking to be more daring.

The top three things people do on holiday that they wouldn’t try at home are climbing something high, adventure activities like skydiving or theme park rides and sampling unusual food.

Attractive Deals
The research shows savvy consumers are looking for the best value for money from holidays in 2025, whatever their budget. Getting a special price is enough to get 57% in Saudi and 51% in UAE to commit to a holiday, and travellers also increasingly take exchange rates into account to get more for their money.

Egypt, for example, is one destination that has seen a tourism boost from GCC outbound due to the relative weakness of its currency. In February 2024, one US dollar was worth three Egyptian pounds. A year later, you get five pounds for each dollar.

Nearly half of travellers (42% in UAE and 49% in Saudi) say that they always take exchange rates into account when going on holidays.

Hotel Deliverables
When it comes to choosing places to stay, cleanliness, location and customer service are the three most important considerations for tourists from the UAE and Saudi.However, sustainability credentials are also increasingly important for both markets, with three-quarters of travellers saying they checked sustainability ratings of the accommodation they stayed in on their last holiday (79% in UAE and 71% in Saudi). However, only 40% did so before they booked, but that is higher than the EMEA average of 30%.

AI-assisted Trips
There is no escaping AI in business in 2025, and the travel industry is no exception, especially in tech-savvy Saudi and the UAE. More than two-thirds of consumers (67%) say they have used AI to help plan or research a holiday, well above the EMEA average of 41%.

Marriott survey of UAE and Saudi travellers

“The research also reveals that, over the past 12 months, we have seen the use of AI become well and truly mainstream across the region, with most young people now using this as an entirely normal part of travel planning,” added Walia.

“This is only set to continue in 2025. Meanwhile, sustainability is no longer simply a ‘nice to have’ but now a key consideration for many travellers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, especially when it comes to accommodation.”

The survey concluded that the main reasons for travel were spending time with friends and family, or simply treating themselves. Reflecting on hectic lifestyles, four in ten people said it was important to come back from holiday feeling healthier than when they left, showing wellness to be an important part of the hospitality mix.

For more information, visit www.marriott.com

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