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Wego data shows budget routes and upscale stays fuelling record demand
Travellers from Saudi Arabia are flocking to Europe this summer, with Baku, Sarajevo and Tbilisi among the hottest destinations, while searches for Milan have surged 25%.
That’s according to online travel marketplace Wego which also reports domestic travel in the kingdom is up 5% to reach 35% as Saudis discover new destinations on their doorstep.
When it comes to accommodation preferences, 80.5% of Saudi travellers are searching for hotels, 7% for apartments and 3.7% for aparthotels.
Luxury remains all-important, with 45% of searches focused on 4-star hotels and nearly 19% on 5-star properties.
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While London and Moscow remain popular European choices, shorter-haul routes to emerging cities in Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia stand out for their affordability, proximity and cultural appeal.
This reflects the findings of the Connecting Travel Insight Report, which lists Azerbaijan and Georgia in the top 10 outbound markets from the GCC region in 2025.
These destinations have seen increased flight frequencies and expanded seasonal services in 2025, with Flyadeal boosting flights from its Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam bases to Baku, Tbilisi, and Sarajevo since June.
Milan’s accessibility has also improved, with direct flights from Riyadh by Flynas and Saudia, and from Jeddah by Wizz Air Malta, making the Italian fashion capital a top choice for Saudi travellers.
The 5% rise in domestic bookings this summer sees a split across destinations, with Jeddah, Riyadh, Abha, Dammam, Al Madinah and Jazan leading the way.
Riyadh bookings surged 19.4%, Jeddah rose 18.6%, Dammam jumped 23.1% and Al Madinah experienced a significant 37.3% increase.
Solo trips dominate Saudi travel at 68.3%, driven by "personal exploration, study, and business opportunities," while couples account for 16% and families 8%.
This growth is partly fuelled by the Saudi Tourism Authority’s ongoing Colour Your Summer marketing campaign, which promotes the kingdom as a year-round destination, highlighting cooler mountain escapes in Aseer, Al Baha and Taif.
Launched with 600 new tourism products, the campaign aims to attract 4.1 million visitors.
Additionally, the Jeddah Season 2025 festival offers a diverse calendar of activities along the Red Sea coast, complemented by new hotel openings such as Rixos Obhur Jeddah, Saudi’s first true all-inclusive resort, and The Chedi Hegra, the first hotel in AlUla’s Unesco-listed Hegra.
Saudi Arabia welcomed 116 million visitors in 2024, an increase of 6.4% compared with 2023, and aims to reach 150 million by 2030.
For more information, visit www.wego.com