UAE flights: Top 5 summer holiday destinations this year revealed

Aerial view of Mauritius, including Le Morne Brabant mountain. Photos courtesy of dnata Travel

With summer vacation time truly behind us, dnata Travel has declared the top five holiday destinations over summer 2022.

In order of popularity, the top five are: Turkey, Thailand, Mauritius, Maldives and Switzerland.

Thailand recorded the biggest growth as a destination based on the number of holiday bookings between June and September 2022, compared to the same time period last year.

Turkey – which also featured in the travel agency's top three summer travel destinations in 2021 – was the most popular destination overall for a summer holiday from the UAE this year. Within Turkey, the major city of Istanbul, alongside Bodrum and Antalya on the Turkish Riviera, were the top three destinations for UAE travellers.

Meerah Ketait, Head of Retail and Leisure UAE at dnata Travel, commented: "International travel has strongly rebounded over summer. Last year, the Maldives, Turkey and Switzerland made up over 40 per cent of our total bookings across June to September 2021, while during the same time period in 2022, more than 25 destinations made up 40 per cent of our overall bookings.

Many additional destinations have opened for tourism, and the pent-up demand is driving travellers to explore more of the world, including lesser known places and varied locations across popular hotspots."

She added, "Thailand is our top growth destination, as bookings increased significantly after the country fully reopened for tourism, and demand was driven by a rise in availability of flights and the country’s incredible value-for-money proposition.

Turkey, the top pick for a summer holiday in 2022, also offers great value and major investments in tourism, with world-class new attractions, dining and accommodation options in Istanbul and the Turkish Riviera driving continued footfall from the UAE."

Experts from the agency continuously monitor travel trends, and the predictions are that Asia will continue to prove popular with growth in bookings and online searches for travel.

Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia are also showing signs of high demand. As the festive season approaches, travel searches around Europe’s festive market hotspots are already witnessing traction, particularly across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.