Saudi travellers booked more flights and spent more money during the summer holidays this year, according to research by Wego.
Summer has often been a peak travel season for Saudi travellers and the numbers are likely boosted by Eid al Adha holiday that fell right at the start of summer break.
Wego’s data revealed a remarkable 16.39 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in international flight bookings originating from Saudi Arabia. Domestic flight bookings also witnessed a substantial growth of 16.58 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Saudi summer travel trends
Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer, Wego said: “This year’s summer bookings in Saudi Arabia beat the flight bookings recorded during the busy Ramadan and Eid al Fitr travel period a few months ago by 23.20 per cent”
“The surge in bookings is a testament to the growing appetite for travel among Saudi residents. Moreover, the use of travel apps and online platforms for booking and planning trips has significantly increased, highlighting the importance of digital channels in the Saudi travel market”.
Saudi travellers demonstrated a notable increase in spending this summer, with an average of $465 (SR1,748) per user allocated to flights and hotel stays in June and July, according to insights from Wego.
These months marked the peak spending period for travellers in 2024 thus far.
This summer, expat families and locals from Saudi Arabia opted for the nearby and the familiar to capitalise on the long school holiday. Egypt, India, United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, and Pakistan are the most booked international destinations on Wego from Saudi Arabia this season.
The data revealed a trend towards spontaneous travel planning, with a majority of travellers making bookings within a two-week window of departure.
Egypt accounted for almost half of all trip bookings on Wego from KSA between June and August. The close proximity to each other, coupled with plenty of daily flights serving the routes, mean that the huge Egyptian community in the Kingdom can easily hop on a plane to visit their families.
Meanwhile, citizens looking to visit Egypt can opt for either Egypt e-visa with its short approval time or Visa on Arrival, making trip planning a breeze.
Wego’s findings showed that luxury hotels are travellers’ preferred choice of accommodation when traveling abroad this summer. Five-star hotels constitute 41.09 per cent of all international hotel bookings from the Kingdom on Wego, trailed closely by 4-star hotels at 34.73 per cent.
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