UAE, Saudi Arabia residents plan to take more holidays this year
Wellbeing-led holidays, alongside luxury, set to be key trends for 2023
Travellers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are planning to take more breaks in 2023 and also spend more on their holidays compared to last year, according to a report.
A majority of travellers will be planning away trips, with around a quarter planning to stay in luxury accommodation, the report added.
These are the findings of Marriott Bonvoy’s 2023 Travel Trends research, which analysed the 2023 travel plans of 14,000 travellers across Europe and the Middle East.
According to the research, 93 per cent travellers in UAE and Saudi Arabia will go away for a vacation, with more than two thirds in each market (66 per cent in Saudi Arabia and 69 per cent in the UAE) planning more breaks than in 2022.
Wellbeing-led holidays that allow people to get away from it all will be the predominant type of break those in the Middle East go on. More than six in 10 from the UAE (61 per cent) plan to, whilst the figure is even higher for Saudi Arabia (73 per cent).
Authentic travel
Authentic travel is also key, with many wanting to immerse themselves in a complete change of culture, with over half in both markets (55 per cent in the UAE and 56 per cent in Saudi Arabia) wanting to explore new destinations and cultures. To truly soak up local culture, 30 per cent of those from the UAE and 27 per cent of those from Saudi Arabia plan on taking a holiday of three weeks or more in one destination.
Of those going on an extended holiday, 39 per cent from Saudi Arabia and 37 per cent from the UAE say that it is the first time they will be doing so.
Forty-eight per cent of those from the UAE and 44 per cent from Saudi Arabia going on extended holidays highlighted that being able to work remotely allows them to take a longer holiday without having to take annual leave for the whole break.
To truly soak up local culture, 30 per cent of those from the UAE and 27 per cent of those from Saudi Arabia plan on taking a holiday of three weeks or more in one destination.