March 16th, 2023, Bhawna Singh
New YouGov research reveals that the pandemic has fuelled the appetite for travel across the globe. Data shows that UAE consumers have a greater appreciation for travel since the pandemic, ranking the highest out of the 18 countries surveyed for agreement with the statement ‘Travel has become more important since the pandemic’ (58% agree).
Looking at the travel behaviour of UAE residents, we see that one in five residents have travelled with a wider group or taken longer vacations in the past 12 months.
Traveling with a wider group of friends and/or family continues to be the top travel activity year on year with the largest increase (of +5%pts) from the previous year. Another travel activity that UAE residents are planning on undertaking to a greater extent in the next 12 months is moving to a different country to work or live (+5%pts).
Remote working whilst on a holiday is set to decline in the future but taking a holiday as an extension of a business trip may witness a slight increase.
Additionally, YouGov research reveals the priorities of UAE travellers for their next travel destinations. Safety is the primary travel priority among UAE travellers (at 31%), followed by great local attractions and amenities (27%) and a desire to experience diverse cultures (26%). Safety is most important to 45+ adults.
Great entertainment (25% UAE travellers vs 17% global travellers), quality services (25% vs 21%) and luxury accommodations (19% vs 14%) are more important to travellers in the UAE as compared to their global counterparts. On the other hand, experiencing something new (24% UAE travellers vs 29% global travellers) and having the best culinary experiences (15% vs 21%) are comparatively less relevant to them.
Visiting remote destinations, having personalized experiences, and doing things that few others can do resonate with UAE travelers who will be looking for brands, experiences, and travel companies that understand their individual needs and unique requirements.
Methodology
The insights in this release are drawn from a recent global YouGov Custom survey covering 18 global markets of more than 19,000 respondents.
Our survey was fielded the week of 9th to 23rd November 2022. Data for UAE is based on a nationally representative sample (of 18+) of 1086 respondents. The YouGov panel provides a naturally accurate and representative view of the population. Data is adjusted with mild weighting using interlocking demographic characteristics.