Skyscanner reveals summer 2021 travel trends

Globally, Dubai ranked the 4th most popular destination and MENA travellers are ready to fly  

Skyscanner has released its findings for trending destinations this summer. According to Skyscanner’s travel trends report, ‘Skyscanner Horizons – The Return of Travel’, Dubai ranked the 4th most popular destination globally, and the research indicated that MENA travellers are eager to travel safely and responsibly as soon as they can.

The top searches by travellers within the UAE and Saudi Arabia for Eid included Cairo, Amman and Alexandria for families. Groups searched for destinations including Ibiza and Malaga. Couples looked for The Maldives, Mauritius and Santorini.

For UAE travellers, staycations in Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah are proving popular.

The comprehensive report also highlighted that travellers are making their holidays count, as global average trip length is 16 days in 2021 – two days longer than in 2019. 

Skyscanner global travel expert Ayoub El Mamoun commented on the findings, saying: “Safe and responsible travel remains a key topic for MENA consumers and with travel beginning to re-open across the region, travellers are eager to get back out to explore again, as safely as possible.

“With the ever-changing travel restrictions, we’re seeing more and more travellers wait until the last minute to book travel. But it can be daunting for anyone thinking about a last-minute break to book with peace of mind. The best way to make sure you’re covered is purchasing a flexible ticket. You can use the Flexible search filter on Skyscanner to select flights with policies that entitle you to a refund, while others let you rearrange for another date if circumstances change.

“Travel insurance and the right level of cover is also more important than ever – make sure any existing policy you have in place covers you for the travel you are looking to book.” 

Skyscanner also found that interest in both regional and international flights has increased steadily among UAE travellers, with a 23% increase in searches, and among Saudi travellers there was an increase of 110% in searches from February to March of this year.

Skyscanner recently launched its Arabic platform. Available on desktop, mobile web or via the app, it enables travellers to select Arabic as a language option to access more localised content.