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UAE travellers still flying to Europe despite heatwave, but rethinking how they holiday
Weather is increasingly becoming the first filter in trip planning rather than the last. The next great travel search filter may not be beach or city, but ‘feels like below 25°C’, says travel agent
- PUBLISHED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 9:12 AM UPDATED: Mon 13 Jul 2026, 9:38 AM
Europe’s summer heatwave is not keeping UAE travellers away from the continent, but it is changing how, when and where they holiday once they get there, according to regional travel executives.
Rashida Zahid, vice president for operations at musafir.com, said demand for Europe remains strong despite the heat, with Schengen visa appointment delays, higher airfares and peak-season hotel rates posing bigger challenges than temperature alone.
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She said bookings for July and August remain healthy, with group departures continuing to Switzerland, France, Italy, Greece, Prague, Germany, Austria and Hungary.
Mamoun Hmidan, chief business officer at Wego, said UAE travellers are becoming more selective within Europe rather than avoiding it, gravitating toward coastal areas, alpine regions, lakes and cities offering milder weather or strong luxury hospitality.
“For high-end travellers, the focus is less on avoiding Europe and more on curating the right experience,” he said.
“Europe is not being cancelled; July and August are being edited,” said Masna Haseen, head of growth marketing and partner relations at Cleartrip.
She said luxury travellers are not crossing destinations such as Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece or southern France off their lists, but are instead avoiding discomfort – queues, sleepless nights and rigid outdoor itineraries.
Travellers casting a wider net
Even as Europe holds its ground, UAE residents are increasingly weighing it against cooler, higher-altitude or lower-friction alternatives.
Booking data by Cleartrip shows nine in 10 summer hotel bookings by UAE residents are overseas, with the Maldives accounting for one in five bookings. Thailand, Mauritius, Canada and Australia complete the top five, while Phuket bookings are up 72 per cent year-on-year, Japan 69 per cent and the US 73 per cent – even as average booking values climb around 16 per cent.
Cleartrip data points to rising interest in Norway, Sweden, Canada and Australia for cooler climates; Switzerland, Austria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for mountain air; and the Maldives, Thailand, Mauritius, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia for value and convenience.
Musafir.com highlighted growing demand for Kenya, timed to the Great Migration season, along with CIS destinations Georgia, Baku, Armenia and Almaty, which offer visa-free entry, e-visas or visa-on-arrival for most UAE residents. Türkiye and Salalah remain strong performers, while Montenegro has emerged as a new visa-free draw, alongside renewed interest in Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia for cooler weather and affordable shopping.
Wego reported continued demand for Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye and Kazakhstan for shorter breaks, alongside Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea for longer, culture- or nature-led holidays.
Australia climbs the wish list
Australia has entered dnata Travel’s top five summer destinations for UAE residents, offering winter temperatures of roughly 9-17°C in Sydney, 7-14°C in Melbourne and 11-21°C in Brisbane during the Gulf summer.
Musafir.com and Wego both noted that demand for Australia remains largely driven by travellers visiting friends and relatives, alongside growing family interest in destinations such as Queensland's Great Barrier Reef, the Gold Coast's theme parks and Sydney's wildlife and harbour attractions.
Hmidan cautioned that as a long-haul trip requiring higher spend, Australia is emerging as “a growing consideration for travellers looking for experiential, longer-stay holidays rather than a mass summer replacement for Europe.”
Haseen said weather is increasingly becoming the first filter in trip planning rather than the last. “The next great travel search filter may not be ‘beach’ or ‘city’. It may be: ‘feels like below 25°C’,” she said.
