Domestic destinations accounted for 53% of total bookings by Saudi travelers during the first four months of 2024, according to a report (pdf) by Seera Group travel unit Al Mosafer. The report compares booking data from Almosafer’s consumer travel business between 1 January-20 April in 2023 and 2024.

Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Al Khobar and Abha maintained their positions as top destinations for domestic travel, while AlUla, Tabuk and Hail are trending destinations this year.

Total bookings for domestic destinations rose 29% y-o-y, with flight bookings surging 27% y-o-y and hotels 40% y-o-y, the report showed. Some 91% of total bookings were made online, while 9% of bookings were made through retail channels.

For Saudis vacationing abroad, Dubai, Doha, Manama, Cairo, and Istanbul continued to be top picks. Asian destinations including Tokyo, Singapore, and Bangkok are gaining popularity this season, and European capitals such as Madrid and Amsterdam are also trending as destinations, the data showed.

Low-cost flight bookings accounted for 62% of total bookings in 1Q 2024, with international low-cost flight bookings representing 46% of bookings. Domestic bookings accounted for 72% over the same period, the data showed. The report attributes this shift to efforts in the Kingdom’s aviation sector, such as the introduction of flight routes and airports with higher capacities, making low-cost carrier flight options more affordable.

REMEMBER- The government is investing some USD 800 bn into the tourism sector under plans to build new future destinations, including Neom, the Red Sea, Diriyah, and Qiddiyah among others. The private sector, supported by the Tourism Development Fund, is pouring investments to build new hotels, he added.

More travelers incoming: The Tourism Ministry recently doubled its target for 2030, hoping now to be host to 150 mn tourist trips after it hit its target last year ahead of schedule. The new 2030 target includes 80 mn trips from domestic travelers and 70 mn from international travelers.

IN OTHER TOURISM NEWS-

The Kingdom and Egypt maintained their top positions in travel booking app Wego’s 2024 ranking of top destinations for international travel for travelers from the region, according to a statement. Saudi and Egypt’s top spots have been largely uninterrupted since the app started tracking data in 2014.

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