UAE travellers are changing how they plan winter holidays with many wanting longer trips and personalised itineraries, Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at dnata Travel told Lana in an exclusive interview.
The Maldives, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Finland and Saudi Arabia currently lead winter bookings – showing new patterns in outbound travel behaviour for 2025 – she said, adding that dnata Travel has also reported a growing demand for emerging destinations.
“The Maldives continues to attract UAE travellers year after year with its warm tropical climate, accessible four-hour flight time, and world-class luxury resorts – which continue to evolve and add exciting new offerings. Thailand also remains popular and increasingly accessible from the UAE, with direct flights available to major hotspots from the capital, Bangkok, to the islands of Phuket and Krabi. Despite its popularity, the destination continues to prove an excellent value for money option for travellers seeking winter sun and adventure amidst its stunning landscapes,” Ketait said.
UAE travellers eye UK to visit friends, relatives, festive markets during winter season
“The UK draws travellers from the UAE either seeking to visit friends and relatives, or to experience its winter atmosphere and festive markets, while Saudi Arabia remains in high demand for Umrah travel. Finland is also rising in popularity for its unique winter experiences, from chasing the Northern Lights to Arctic adventures,” she added.
dnata Travel further observed shifts in booking behaviour across various traveller groups, with Ketait revealing families continued to plan earlier in tandem with school holiday calendars.
“In 2025, we have seen a rise in longer winter trips due to the nearly-month-long school break. At the same time, there is still strong demand for shorter getaways over the anticipated Eid Al Etihad break, as well as last-minute bookings for more spontaneous travel,” she said.
However, while core destinations maintained strong performance, dnata Travel recorded rising interest in new markets.
Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico among popular new travel destinations for UAE customers
“We are noticing growing interest in emerging destinations rising in popularity for UAE travellers such as Finland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Belgium, and Mexico,” she revealed, adding that the pattern aligned with previous years as travellers sought extended, exploratory itineraries.
“This trend remains in-line with trends we have witnessed in recent years of travellers seeking increasingly adventurous destinations, and booking longer, multi-destination trips across parts of the world, such as Europe, or within one country, such as Japan – to explore more of their chosen locations in one, extended trip,” she said.
In addition, travel planning for winter 2025 reflected the range of interests among UAE residents.
“Family-focused travel remains a top priority for our travellers, seeking locations and accommodation that appeals to all members of the family,” Ketait said revealing that demand remained strong for luxury stays and for specific experiences, including sports-led itineraries.
UAE residents prefer visa-friendly destinations, says dnata head
However, travel motivations among UAE nationals and expat residents continued to differ with many opting for visa-friendly destinations, Ketait said.
She added that residents also drove significant demand for VFR (visiting friends and relatives) travel.
“Our UAE national travellers often show a notable preference for luxury and experience-led travel,” the dnata executive continued. This has further led to dnata Travel reporting a “growing preference” in customised itineraries over standard packages.
Customers are increasingly opting for tailored experiences and itineraries “to ensure their trip is truly unique and meets the needs of all travellers,” Ketait said.
“Recent examples of customised journeys trending with our travellers, curated by our experts – predominantly in store – include safari journeys in South Africa and Sri Lanka, and bespoke winter experiences in Finland,” she added.
UAE travellers want customised, experience-driven travel experiences
Aside from this, Ketait revealed that there is a “shift” in outbound behaviour as customers opt for “experiential travel.”
“This is where our travel experts – particularly across our retail stores in popular neighbourhoods from Dubai Hills to Palm Jumeirah, come in handy for UAE travellers seeking to curate a journey with direct, in-person support on their doorsteps. Demand is rising for destinations such as South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Japan, with travellers also opting for longer stays,” she said.
Nevertheless, demand continues to grow for destinations such as South Africa, Sri Lanka and Japan, with longer stays becoming more common, according to Ketait.
“We expect even stronger interest in customised and experience-driven travel,” she said, adding that the company planned to meet demand across both digital and in-person channels.
“dnata Travel is well positioned to meet this demand, supported by our retail stores across the country, and enhanced website, which now offers a more seamless online booking journey than ever before,” she said.
“Travellers can speak to someone in person or explore at their leisure our range of offers and value-adds which are often exclusive to our UAE traveller base, forged from our 60-plus years of experience and strong relationships with international partners,” she added outlining a wide range of winter offers across markets, islands, ski destinations, Europe and cruise travel.
These include:
- Three-night stay at Le Méridien Munich in a Superior Guest Room with breakfast and return flights, from AED5,650 per person.
- Three-night stay at Kreuz & Post Hotel Grindelwald in a Standard Room with breakfast and return flights, from AED5,100 per person.
- Krabi, Thailand: Three-night stay at Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort in a Superior Room with breakfast and return flights, from AED3,535 per person.
- Maldives: Three-night stay at Adaaran Prestige Vadoo in a Sunset Overwater Villa with Plunge Pool on an all-inclusive basis, with return flights and speedboat transfers, from AED6,325 per person.
- Seven-night National Day Gulf Sailing onboard MSC Euribia, including interior cabin on full-board basis with taxes and port fees, from AED3,500 per person. Route: Dubai – Doha – At Sea – Abu Dhabi – Sir Bani Yas – Dubai.
