Get them party blowers ready! The new year is just around the corner and it’s bringing with it new ways in which holidaymakers will travel.
Skyscanner has released its annual travel trend predictions and for 2025 they’ve dedicated a whole section to travellers from the UAE.
According to the new report, Emiratis will be seeking collective adventure in the new year, and for those wondering what exactly that means, it’s holiday experiences that give them a sense of belonging and being part of something bigger than themselves. This can include experiences such as cheering in a crowd of sporting fans at an international game, recharging with fellow yogis at a retreat or mingling with other gamers at a worldwide convention.
That last one is great news for Saudi Arabia which has invested in attracting gamers by hosting the Esports World Cup earlier this year, and the inaugural 2025 Olympic Esports Games next year.
“The rise of collective adventure, the unity of using travel as a vehicle, is a way to both explore and foster belonging, finding places where we can unapologetically be ourselves while widening our perspective,” explained Naomi Hahn, Skyscanner VP Strategy, Operations and Data. “In an increasingly volatile world, shared travel experiences at the glue that bind us together, especially when we find new people to resonate with in novel places.”
Outside that sense of belonging, around 71% of travellers out of the UAE have stressed that travel will remain a priority for them in 2025. They don’t just plan on taking holidays next year, but spending more on their vacation than they did in 2024.
The top five destinations that UAE holidaymakers are likely to choose for their 2025 getaway including Siem Reap in Cambodia, Nassau in the Bahamas, Langkawi in Malaysia, Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan and Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. Meanwhile the best value destinations for UAE travellers are those that have experienced the biggest airfare drops over the last 12 months, and they include Bucharest in Romania, Trabzon in Turkiye, Beijing in China, Tokyo in Japan, Baku in Azerbaijan and Seoul in South Korea.
Here are a few of the top travel trends UAE travellers are expected to adopt over the next year:
Acceleration of sports travel
Sports tourism has always been big with the Olympics, FIFA World Cup and more being major drivers for travel. However, new to sports travel is behind-the-scenes holidays, where sporting enthusiasts travel to experience events and destinations featured in shows like Drive to Survive, Break Point and Full Swing.
Interestingly, sport tourism won’t just be driven by men next year, but women and younger Gen Z travellers who are highly engaged with the sector on social media. According to Skyscanner, around 66% of the 313 million views of #golftok on TikTok are people aged 18-24 years old and F1 Paddock Girls has amassed 11.5 million post shares on the same social media channel.
Beyond watching and engaging with sports, travellers themselves seek to take part in active opportunities, with 67% of all UAE travellers taking a fitness class while on vacation and 85% of 25–34-year-olds looking to explore a new place by running or cycling.
Astro-tourism is skyrocketing
There’s going to be an increase in holidays involving stargazing and dark sky tourism in 2025, as people seek to understand their place in the universe.
Around 54% of UAE travellers will likely be asking their travel agents to recommend top night sky photography destinations, while 51% seek sleeping under the star experiences and 43% want to catch the Northern Lights.
Travel Agents and the industry are being advised to prepare for two common questions from their astro-driven clients next year: where can I see a solar eclipse and where are the best places to see a solar eclipse?
Health, resilience and longevity tourism
‘New year, new me’ will extend beyond the first few weeks of the new year and into the entire 12 months.
While health and wellness tourism isn’t a completely new concept, next year’s wellness seekers will be looking beyond yoga and spa breaks to travel destinations where they can find resilience, purpose and longevity.
According to the report, around 68% of UAE travellers feel more mindful about their overall health and wellbeing than ever before, and 91% believe their holidays should help build resilience and strength.
Of course, not all travellers are on the same page. The trend of health-conscious travel is mostly likely to be driven by 65 year olds and older (67%) and 18-25 year olds (50%).
Phuket in Thailand is expected to be the top destination for wellness seekers in 2025, followed by Manila in the Philippines and Male in the Maldives.
Gami-vacation
Having run their first and incredibly successful E-sports World Cup back in August, Saudi Arabia’s tourism leaders will be delighted to hear that gaming conventions will be all the rave in 2025.
Around 81% of UAE travellers will be inspired to book a holiday based on locations from their favourite video games, while others are keen to join other gamers at international conventions and festivals.
Major gaming event GamesCon in Cologne witnessed a 508% increase in searches in August 2024 compared to the same month last year, while TwitchCon in San Diego saw a 167% increase in searches.
Top destinations for gamers in 2025 include Sydney in Australia, Da Nang in Vietnam, Bali in Indonesia, Chicago in the USA and Bangkok in Thailand.
Check out Skyscanner’s other picks for 2025 UAE traveller trends including art ventures and horticulture, here.
