UAE travellers are heading overseas...

Dnata says 90% will travel internationally with the Maldives, Spain and Mauritius popular

More travellers from the UAE plan on travelling overseas for Eid Al Fitr in 2025, with 90% making international bookings compared to just 60% in 2024.

That’s according to Dnata Travel which says outbound travel this Eid Al Fitr coincides with the two-week school spring break, allowing families to go further and stay longer.

Overall bookings for both international trips and staycations have also increased by 65% compared to last year, with popular destinations including the Maldives, Spain, Mauritius, France and Sri Lanka.

Vietnam, Japan, Italy and Switzerland are seeing the highest year-on-year growth in demand from travellers in the UAE, according to Dnata Travel.

One of the key travel trends for 2025 is growing demand for "long-haul destinations,” said Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at Dnata Travel. “Travellers are booking longer stays in more distant locations, with many looking for unique and less-explored parts of popular travel hotspots.

“We’re seeing strong interest in cities like Madrid in Spain and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. More travellers are approaching our experts this year to check off bucket-list destinations, while making the most of longer holiday periods with family and friends.”

The Maldives is the most popular destination for UAE travellers for Eid Al Fitr 2025, but cities in Spain such as Madrid and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam are also proving popular

The Maldives is the most popular choice

Marriott Bonvoy’s recent 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.

There is also a trend towards travellers staying longer in destinations that are cheaper, with savvy consumers from the Middle East considering destinations with weaker currencies, such as Egypt and Japan.

For more information, visit www.dnatatravel.com