Several destinations have now opened up to tourism, with experts saying pent-up demand is driving travelers to explore more of the world
Aerial view of Mauritius including Le Morne Brabant mountain. Photos courtesy of dnata Travel
With the summer holidays really behind us, dnata Travel has announced the top 5 holiday destinations for summer 2022.
In order of popularity, the top 5 are: Turkey, Thailand, Mauritius, Maldives and Switzerland.
Thailand saw the largest growth as a travel destination, measured by the number of holiday bookings between June and September 2022 compared to the same period last year.
Turkey – which was also among the travel agency’s top three summer destinations in 2021 – was the most popular summer holiday destination from the UAE this year overall. Within Turkey, the major city of Istanbul was the top three most popular destinations for travelers from the United Arab Emirates, along with Bodrum and Antalya on the Turkish Riviera.
Krabi, Thailand
Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at dnata Travel, commented: “International travel has rebounded strongly over the summer. Last year, the Maldives, Turkey and Switzerland accounted for over 40 percent of our total bookings from June to September 2021, while in the same period in 2022, more than 25 destinations accounted for 40 percent of our total bookings.
Many additional destinations have opened up to tourism, and the pent-up demand is driving travelers to explore more of the world, including lesser-known places and diverse locations in popular hotspots.”
She added: “Thailand is our top growth destination as bookings have increased significantly following the country’s full reopening to tourism and demand has been driven by increasing flight availability and the country’s incredible value for money.
Turkey, the top choice for a summer vacation in 2022, also offers excellent value for money and major investment in tourism, with world-class new attractions, restaurants and accommodation options in Istanbul and the Turkish Riviera driving visitor numbers from the Keep boosting UAE.”
The Turkish Riviera
The agency’s experts continuously monitor travel trends and forecasts suggest that Asia will continue to prove popular with growth in bookings and online travel searches.
Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia are also showing signs of strong demand. As the holiday season approaches, travel searches around the festive market hotspots in Europe are already seeing traction, particularly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
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