UAE residents are increasingly leaving summer travel plans to the last minute, with data from travel platform Wego showing that nearly 70 per cent of all searches occur within a month of the intended departure date.
“We’re seeing strong interest from UAE travellers who are continuing to plan summer holidays even closer to departure. Flexibility has become an increasingly important part of the travel planning process, with travellers actively comparing destinations based on accessibility, value, and the experiences available. Destinations that offer a combination of convenience, diverse attractions, and competitive pricing continue to perform particularly well during the summer travel period,” Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer at Wego said in a statement.
Uzbekistan recorded the strongest growth of any destination on Wego’s list, with June searches for July travel rising 78.4 per cent year-on-year.
Around one in six bookings to the country, which has drawn interest for its Silk Road cities and cooler summers, were made within a week of departure. Average airfares from the UAE started at AED 1,309.
Türkiye also posted strong numbers, with June searches for July departures up 34.5 per cent on the same period last year. Average fares started from AED 1,338, and bookings to both Türkiye and Georgia were made around 25 days before travel on average, with roughly 8 to 10 per cent confirmed within the final week.
Georgia saw a more modest 7.8 per cent rise in June searches for July travel, with fares from AED 1,475. Vietnam grew 23.3 per cent year-on-year, with travellers booking an average of 27 days out and fares starting from AED 1,806.
Bali, Indonesia recorded a 24.2 per cent increase, with bookings typically made around 28 days before departure and average fares from AED 3,009. Thailand rose 12.7 per cent, with fares from AED 2,477.
