dnata Travel: 90% of UAE travellers choose international stays for Eid Al Fitr
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As UAE travellers prepare for the upcoming Eid Al Fitr and spring break, dnata Travel is seeing a significant rise in international bookings, with 90% of customers opting for trips abroad in 2025. This marks a sharp increase from previous years, and highlights a growing preference for overseas travel during holiday periods. For Eid Al Fitr 2024, bookings were more evenly split, with 60% of travellers choosing international destinations and 40% opting for staycations in the UAE. dnata's travel experts attribute this surge in outbound travel to Eid Al Fitr aligning with the two-week spring break, allowing families to extend their holidays and explore further afield. Overall bookings – both international and domestic – have increased by 65% compared to the previous Eid holiday. The most popular destinations include the Maldives, Spain, Mauritius, France, and Sri Lanka, respectively. Meanwhile, Vietnam, Japan, Italy, and Switzerland are seeing the highest year-on-year growth in demand.
Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at dnata Travel, commented: 'One of the key travel trends for 2024 and 2025 is growing demand for long-haul destinations. Travellers are booking longer stays in more distant locations, with many looking for unique and less-explored parts of popular travel hotspots.
'For Eid Al Fitr and the extended spring break in 2025, 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.'
To meet this rising demand, dnata Travel has launched a range of bespoke holiday packages for UAE travellers with availability still open for Eid Al Fitr and the extended spring break period this March and April. Highlights include four and five-star stays in popular short-haul destinations in the Maldives and Cyprus, and long-haul locations including Mauritius, Spain, Bali, and Hong Kong.
Highlight offers include:
• Maldives – A four-night water villa stay at Sun Siyam Olhuveli on a full board basis, including return flights, island transfers, and a kids stay and eat free offer, from AED 6,790 per person.
• Bali – A luxury five-star stay for three nights at The Kayana in a Deluxe Pool Villa, including return flights and a complimentary dinner for two, from AED 3,840 per person.
To explore more trending holiday destinations and packages from the UAE with dnata Travel, visit www.dnataTravel.com. For more travel advice and inspiration, contact the dnata Travel experts via call or WhatsApp on 800 DNATA (36282), on social media @dnataTravel, email holidays@dnatatravel.com, or visit a dnata Travel retail outlet, with stores located across the UAE.
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