Dubai: As UAE travellers prepare for the upcoming Eid Al Fitr and spring break, travel experts are seeing a significant rise in international bookings. According to dnata Travel – the travel division of the Emirates Group-owned air services provider – about 90 per cent of customers opt for trips abroad in 2025. This highlights a growing preference for overseas travel during holidays compared to previous years.
“For Eid Al Fitr 2024, bookings were more evenly split, with 60 per cent of travellers choosing international destinations and 40 per cent opting for staycations in the UAE,” explained the travel agency. dnata’s travel experts attributed this year’s surge in outbound travel to Eid Al Fitr, which, aligned with the two-week spring break, allowed families to extend their holidays.
Overall, international and domestic bookings have increased by 65 per cent compared to the previous Eid holiday.
The most popular destinations, according to dnata, include the Maldives, Spain, Mauritius, France, and Sri Lanka, respectively. Meanwhile, Vietnam, Japan, Italy, and Switzerland are seeing the highest year-on-year growth in demand.
Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at dnata Travel, said, “One of the key travel trends for 2024 and 2025 is a growing demand for long-haul destinations. Travellers are booking longer stays in more distant locations, with many looking for unique and less-explored parts of popular travel hotspots.
Meerah added, “For Eid Al Fitr and the extended spring break in 2025, we’re seeing strong interest in cities like Madrid in Spain and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. More travellers are approaching our experts this year to check off bucket-list destinations while making the most of longer holiday periods with family and friends.”
Travel companies, including dnata Travel, have launched a range of curated holiday packages for UAE travellers, with availability still open for Eid Al Fitr and the extended spring break period from March to April. Trips to Maldives, including a four-night water villa stay at Sun Siyam Olhuveli on a full board basis, including return flights, island transfers, and a kids’ stay and eat-free offer, are priced at Dh6,790 per person.
Also, trips to Bali (including stay, air tickets, and complimentary dinner) are priced at Dh3,840 per person. Dubai carrier flydubai also offers all-inclusive packages to various destinations, including Krabi (Dh3,104), Istanbul (Dh4,820), and Yerevan (Dh1,658).
