In the 2024 travel forecast for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Egypt and Saudi Arabia continue to stand out as favored destinations, maintaining their prominence in the international travel arena, as revealed by a recent study.
The Singapore-headquartered travel service Wego identified Egypt as the most popular destination for regional travelers in the first quarter of the year, with Saudi Arabia closely following. India remains a steady choice, securing the third position since 2016.
The ascension of Saudi Arabia to the second rank underscores the nation’s ascent as a major international tourism hub, in line with its ambitious National Tourism Strategy which targets 150 million tourists by the year 2030.
“Egypt’s rise as the top choice for MENA travelers in Q1 2024 is thrilling. Our data points to Egypt’s allure for those in pursuit of distinctive cultural encounters and a variety of attractions,” remarked Mamoun Hmedan, Wego’s Chief Business Officer.
Hmedan also noted that the United Kingdom remains the preferred European destination for Middle Eastern tourists.
Within the Middle East, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have defended their top three rankings from the previous year, with Egypt and Saudi Arabia consistently securing the lead since Wego’s tracking began more than ten years ago.
The study’s conclusions stem from an analysis of user searches and hotel reservations on the Wego platform.
The report further disclosed that the UAE, Pakistan, Kuwait, and Turkiye also ranked highly among MENA travelers, while China experienced a slight decline, now standing as the 27th most visited destination.
Remarkably, the UK has maintained its position as the most visited European destination by Middle Eastern travelers, with Italy advancing to the second spot. Italy, a perennial favorite, has now entered the top three for the first time.
Recent collaborations between Saudi Arabia and Italy, along with direct flights by ITA Airways to Riyadh and Jeddah, reflect strengthening relations and may have contributed to Italy’s increased popularity.
Destinations further from the Gulf, like Morocco, Indonesia, and the US, have seen a dip in popularity among MENA travelers. In 2024, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the US were edged out from the global top 10, while Kuwait, Pakistan, and Jordan maintained their status as top ten choices from the previous year.