For the upcoming long vacation, 80% of bookings are for international trips, while remaining cover staycations in the Emirates
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This year's longest official holiday is less than a week away. Airports across the UAE are all set to welcome millions of passengers as residents make the best of the 6-day Eid Al Adha weekend, followed by the two-month summer break.
According to dnata Travel, majority of summer bookings are for Eid Al Adha. "Across the summer, 80 per cent of bookings are for international travel, while the remaining cover UAE staycations," the travel provider said.
The agency has revealed the most popular holiday hotspots over summer in 2023. In order of popularity, the 10 most booked destinations are: Thailand, Turkey, Italy, UK, Greece, Maldives, Bali, Mauritius, Switzerland and Oman.
Experts have also revealed an 18 per cent increase in international holiday bookings from June to September 2023 so far, compared to the same period in 2022.
As the most popular destination, Thailand accounts for 23 per cent of dnata Travel bookings across the summer. Within the country, the capital city Bangkok, alongside the islands of Phuket and Krabi are the top three locations for UAE travellers.
Meerah Ketait, head of Retail and Leisure UAE, said: "A pent-up demand is driving travellers to explore more of the world, including lesser-known places and varied locations across popular hotspots. In addition to the ever-popular destinations of Thailand, Turkey, Italy and UK, we have seen a notable increase in travel to Greece in particular, compared to the same period last year."
Bookings to Hong Kong, Japan, South Africa, and Denmark are trending compared to 2022, with Austria, Spain, Singapore and Sri Lanka also growing in popularity.
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As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does - and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.
sahim@khaleejtimes.com