Manila, Cairo and Amman are most popular summer destinations for UAE travellers

New Skyscanner data reveals where holidaymakers are preparing to fly to

1. The Philippines is the top choice for UAE travellers this summer, with more Skyscannner flight bookings to Manila than any other destination. Photo: Cris Tagupa / Unsplash

2. Cairo, Egypt, also ranks highly among holidaymakers. EPA

3. The Amman Citadel, an ancient Roman landmark in Amman, Jordan, could be a popular destination as the city has the third most bookings according to Skyscanner. Reuters

4. UAE travellers are also flocking to Mumbai, India. Photo: Paul Hilton

5. Tourists visit the waterfront in Istanbul, Turkey, the fifth most popular city according to data. Photo: Erhan Demirtas / Bloomberg

With the school year ending and Eid Al Adha holidays in sight, travellers are planning to get away this summer.

And, the most popular destination for travel from the UAE is Manila, according to the latest data from online travel agency Skyscanner.

The Eid Al Adha long weekend is scheduled to start on Friday, July 8, and end on Monday, July 11, giving travellers a four-day weekend.

In line with the coming holiday, the week beginning July 4 is the most popular for travel from the UAE.

The capital of the Philippines is the most popular destination for summer holidays, with destinations in Egypt, Jordan, India and Turkey rounding out the top five.

Top destinations for UAE travellers

1. Manila, Philippines

2. Cairo, Egypt

3. Amman, Jordan

4. Mumbai, India

5. Istanbul, Turkey

Skyscanner reveals UAE bookings in May, for July and August travel, were up by 156 per cent compared to the previous month.

It’s a similar story in Saudi Arabia where bookings increased by 325 per cent for the same period.

Travellers from the kingdom prefer Egypt over the Philippines for travel this year, with Cairo the most popular destination from Saudi Arabia on Skyscanner. London is the second most-booked destination, followed by Bangkok, Baku and Hyderabad.

“As travel restrictions have eased and traveller confidence returns, we’ve witnessed a travel revival with pent-up demand turning into millions of travellers enjoying their much longed for trips again,” said Skyscanner travel expert, Ayoub El Mamoun.

Despite the popularity of some destinations, El Mamoun says summer flights don’t have to be expensive and advised travellers to set up flight alerts to track price drops.

“Flights to popular summer destinations don’t have to cost a fortune if you know how to search for the best prices,” he added.

Thailand is top summer holiday destination

Travellers are also heading to more traditional holiday destinations this summer, according to data from dnata Travel.

The travel agency last week said Thailand is the most popular destination for holidays from the UAE this summer.

The South-East Asian country removed all Covid-19-related entry rules in June, when it scrapped the need for incoming travellers to hold a Thailand Pass.

Bangkok, Phuket and Koh Samui are the most popular destinations in Thailand for UAE travellers.

Dnata Travel also said 64 per cent of customers had booked holidays abroad, while 34 per cent had opted for UAE staycations this summer.

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