Top 10 destinations for Mena travellers: Egypt remains the most sought after

Saudi Arabia and India complete the top three most coveted destinations and the UK leads for Europe on Wego’s 2023 leaderboard

Tourists visit the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. Egypt remains the number one destination for travellers from the Mena region. EPA

Egypt has held on to its crown as the most sought after destination for travellers in the Middle East and North Africa for the ninth consecutive year.

Offering a mix of ancient history, fascinating culture and coastal escapes, Egypt came first in the latest travel trends study from online travel company Wego.

Saudi Arabia was second 0on the list, with the kingdom benefitting from its myriad events said Ross Veitch, chief executive and co-founder of Wego.

“From around the Gulf we’re seeing quite a bit of interest in Saudi Arabia with a lot of people going in for the Formula One, or Riyadh Season or going for a business trip, and then tacking on a few days to check out the place,” Veitch told The National on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.

Rounding off the top three most coveted destinations for Mena travellers was India, a major source market for foreign talent and labour for the Gulf region.

The UAE was in fourth place, followed by Kuwait which climbed into the top five.

Turkey drops out of the top five into sixth. Mamoun Hmedan, chief commercial officer and managing director of Wego for Mena and India, attributes this to the country’s stabilising currency, which means that less bargain holidays to Turkey are available.

The major earthquake and the prolonged news cycle that surrounded it could also have caused travellers to delay or cancel travel plans to Turkey.

Pakistan has moved up the leaderboard to seventh. The country is gaining ground with Mena travellers in recent months thanks to more flights being added.

Jordan, Thailand and Qatar complete the top 10.

UK, Germany and Italy lead for European destinations

When it comes to travel in Europe, the UK leads the way for Mena travellers, and is particularly favourable with people from the UAE.

“The Wego data we shared is from all the origins we cover across the Mena region, and to some extent those trends are true of the UAE, but its reflective of a broader marker," said Veitch. "The UAE can be a bit of an anomaly within the region, due to the sheer number of expats living there. Out of the UAE, we typically see European destinations over index, and the UK is number one on our list."

Germany was the second most coveted destination in Europe for travellers in the region, while Italy was third. Known for its beautiful coastlines, ancient cities and Mediterranean cuisine, Italy is currently finding particular favour with travellers from Saudi Arabia.

“Out of Saudi [Arabia], Italy is super popular at the moment. In the UAE, popular destinations are a bit more evergreen, it doesn’t change too much. But in Saudi Arabia things come in and out of fashion quite quickly, and Italy is in fashion at the moment,” Veitch told The National.

Other notable destinations finding favour with travellers in the region include Oman, which has climbed four places to 12th, and China, which has seen the biggest quarter-on-quarter rise in the top 50, climbing six spots to 26th. This movement comes after the country reopened at the start of the year, but China’s popularity rate remains well below pre-Covid rankings.

“With further easing of travel largely expected, we project that China will be among the fastest risers in Q2 of this year as well and that it will likely break the top 20,” said Veitch.

The top 10 global destinations for MENA travellers

1. Egypt

2. Saudi Arabia

3. India

4. UAE

5. Kuwait

6. Turkey

7. Pakistan

8. Jordan

9. Thailand

10. Qatar