- Egypt and Saudi Arabia have held the No. 1 and No. 2 positions nearly uninterrupted since Wego began tracking them in 2014.
- The biggest gainer in the top 25 is Azerbaijan (23rd, +6), while outside the top 25 are Russia (26th, +9) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (39th, +7).
- UK remains Europe's top destination for 24 months in a row
- Italy has seen a rapid surge in travel activity, becoming Europe's second-largest destination and breaking into the top three for the first time on record.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the number one travel app for booking and searching flights, today announced that destinations around the world are relatively popular among travelers in the Middle East. It was revealed that there is. Wego users search for tens of millions of trips every quarter, and it's this flight and hotel data that is analyzed to determine relative destination rankings. The leaderboards announced today cover the first four months of 2024.
global destination trends
Egypt and Saudi Arabia will maintain their positions as number one and number two, respectively, as top international travel destinations for MENA travelers in 2024.
“We are excited to see Egypt emerge as a leading destination for travelers in the MENA region in the first quarter of 2024.According to Wego data, Egypt offers unique cultural experiences and diverse attractions. Meanwhile, the UK continues to maintain its position as a popular European destination for Middle Eastern travelers, Wego Travel. We are committed to fostering connections between people and providing the best experiences each country has to offer.These destinations.” Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Business Officer at Wego, said:
The top three are Egypt and India. Both countries are major source markets for foreign talent and labor for the Gulf region, and consistently maintain top positions in international air travel. Dating back to 2014, Egypt has consistently been either her number one or her number two, and India has consistently been her number three since 2016.
As always, there was more movement in the bottom half of the top 10, with Pakistan steadily gaining momentum by gaining as many as two maximum places.
Outside the top 20, Russia rose nine places to 26th in the world and 5th in Europe and the CIS.
Top 50 global destinations for Middle East travelers |
|||||||||||
Rank '24 YTD |
Country |
Δ vs. 'twenty three |
region |
Rank '24 YTD |
Country |
Δ vs. 'twenty three |
region |
||||
1 |
Egypt |
⇔ |
0 |
Mena |
26 |
Russia |
➚ |
9 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
2 |
Saudi Arabia |
⇔ |
0 |
Mena |
27 |
China |
➘ |
-1 |
Asia Pacific |
||
3 |
India |
⇔ |
0 |
indian submarine |
28 |
France |
➘ |
-1 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
Four |
United Arab Emirates |
⇔ |
0 |
Mena |
29 |
Iraq |
➘ |
-1 |
Mena |
||
Five |
Pakistan |
➚ |
2 |
indian submarine |
30 |
georgia |
➚ |
2 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
6 |
Kuwait |
➘ |
-1 |
Mena |
31 |
Spain |
➘ |
-1 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
7 |
turkey |
➘ |
-1 |
Mena |
32 |
Japan |
➘ |
-1 |
Asia Pacific |
||
8 |
Jordan |
⇔ |
0 |
Mena |
33 |
Nepal |
➚ |
1 |
indian submarine |
||
9 |
Thailand |
⇔ |
0 |
Asia Pacific |
34 |
Iran |
➘ |
-1 |
Mena |
||
Ten |
qatar |
➚ |
1 |
Mena |
35 |
Sri Lanka |
➚ |
1 |
indian submarine |
||
11 |
oman |
➚ |
1 |
Mena |
36 |
Austria |
➚ |
3 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
12 |
Morocco |
➘ |
-2 |
Mena |
37 |
Singapore |
➚ |
3 |
Asia Pacific |
||
13 |
England |
➚ |
1 |
Europe and CIS countries |
38 |
algeria |
➚ |
3 |
Mena |
||
14 |
bangladesh |
➚ |
Five |
indian submarine |
39 |
Bosnia |
➚ |
7 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
15 |
Indonesia |
➘ |
-2 |
Asia Pacific |
40 |
Netherlands |
➘ |
-3 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
16 |
Philippines |
⇔ |
0 |
Asia Pacific |
41 |
Syria |
➚ |
1 |
Mena |
||
17 |
bahrain |
➚ |
1 |
Mena |
42 |
Vietnam |
➚ |
6 |
Asia Pacific |
||
18 |
America |
➘ |
-3 |
Americas |
43 |
Australia |
➘ |
-Five |
Asia Pacific |
||
19 |
Lebanon |
➘ |
-2 |
Mena |
44 |
Poland |
➚ |
7 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
20 |
Italy |
➚ |
Four |
Europe and CIS countries |
45 |
Switzerland |
➚ |
2 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
twenty one |
tunisia |
➚ |
2 |
Mena |
46 |
South Korea |
➘ |
-2 |
Asia Pacific |
||
twenty two |
Malaysia |
⇔ |
0 |
Asia Pacific |
47 |
Greece |
➘ |
-2 |
Europe and CIS countries |
||
twenty three |
Azerbaijan |
➚ |
6 |
Europe and CIS countries |
48 |
ethiopia |
➚ |
1 |
Africa |
||
twenty four |
Germany |
➘ |
-3 |
Europe and CIS countries |
49 |
maldives |
➘ |
-6 |
indian submarine |
||
twenty five |
Canada |
⇔ |
0 |
Americas |
50 |
kenya |
⇔ |
0 |
Africa |
regional conflicts
middle east destinations
Among Middle East destinations, the top three – Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – retained their positions from 2023. Egypt and Saudi Arabia, in particular, have inevitably been Wego's top two destinations since he started tracking customer trends more than a decade ago.
This year, Pakistan overtook Kuwait and Turkey and moved up two places to enter the top four. The Turkish lira has been gradually depreciating, making the country a perfect destination for bargain tourism, but it was observed in June 2023 and at the end of 2021 that it led to a surge in inbound tourists in 2022 and 2022. Such a sudden devaluation has not yet been seen. '23. At the same time, the country continues to be a good haven from the summer heat and is expected to rise again in the rankings as temperatures start to rise.
Meanwhile, Pakistan continues to improve its position thanks to improved connectivity with the Middle East and cheaper airfares. In 2024, Pakistan-based low-cost airline Fly Jinnah will start flights to Sharjah and Muscat, while Pakistan's national carrier PIA will start flights between Dubai and Skardu.
Other notable moves in the top 10 include Qatar and Oman each gaining a spot, moving to 8th and 9th place respectively. Qatar broke into the top 10 for the first time in 2022 when the World Cup was held, but despite the one-off nature of the tournament, the country is poised to improve further by climbing up the ranks in 2023 and 2023. is completed. Since the beginning of '24.
europe destinations
The UK remains Europe's leading destination in the Middle East, holding the number one spot for 10 of the past 11 years, but only lost that position during the pandemic. Behind Saudi Arabia, Italy is proving to be more fluid, jumping from her fourth place last year to her second place this year.
Italy is one of the world's most popular tourist countries and consistently ranks among the top 10 European destinations for Middle Eastern travelers, but 2024 will be the first year the country cracks the top three. In the second half of 2023, a series of joint investments between Saudi Arabia and Italy were announced, and soon after, Italian airline ITA announced direct flights to Riyadh and Jeddah.
At the other end of the spectrum, in 2024, there was a relative decline in popularity among many Eastern European countries. Azerbaijan fell to Italy in third place, Georgia dropped two places to sixth place, and Bosnia and Herzegovina dropped one place. They finished in the top 10, narrowly surpassing the Netherlands, which finished in 11th place. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, these countries benefit from their proximity to the Middle East and more relaxed travel policies, with Georgia overtaking the UK to take the top spot and Azerbaijan rising to second place. Ta. In 2024, some of the larger markets in Western Europe are expected to regain some of their share. While Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina all fell down in the European destination rankings, all three countries ranked higher in the world as European destinations overall gained more traction than non-European destinations. It is important to note that we have earned our place in the rankings.
Asia Pacific destinations
This year, the top seven countries in the Asia-Pacific region have maintained their positions, with the only change within the top 10 being Vietnam moving up ahead of South Korea. Thailand and Indonesia remained in first and second place, respectively, but while Thailand was extending its lead and consolidating its position at the top, Indonesia barely held on to second place, narrowly ahead of the Philippines. 2024 will see Thailand take the top spot for the third year in a row, while Indonesia, which was the top Asian destination every year before COVID-19, is now trying to avoid slipping to third place. .
Annual trends (2023 vs 2024)
Looking at destinations around the world, we see a continuation of the general trend of closer regional destinations gaining ground over more distant destinations from 2023 onwards. Among the top destinations, those that fell the most were those geographically distant from the Gulf region, such as Morocco, Indonesia and the United States. Malaysia, the Philippines and the United States dropped out of the world's top 10 last year, but this trend will continue into 2024, while Kuwait, Pakistan and Jordan, which made it into the top 10 last year, remain among the most popular destinations. are doing. For MENA travelers.
In 2024, Qatar entered the top 10 for the first time, replacing Morocco, which fell two places to 12th place.
About Wego
Wego provides an award-winning travel search website and top-ranked mobile app for travelers in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Wego leverages powerful yet easy-to-use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airline, hotel, and online travel agency websites.
Wego offers a fair comparison of all travel products and prices offered on the market by local and global sellers, and offers you the chance to shop, whether directly from the airline or hotel or from a third party. Help customers quickly find the best deals and places to book. Party aggregator website.
Founded in 2005, Wego is headquartered in Dubai and Singapore, with regional operations in Bangalore, Riyadh, Cairo, Lahore and Kuala Lumpur.
For more information, please contact us below.
Nadine Abdelkhalek
Public Relations Manager
Mobile phone: 00971509269669
Email: nadine@wego.com