dnata Travel reveals the most popular holiday hotspots for UAE National Day breaks in 2022. In order of popularity, the five most booked destinations are: UAE, Maldives, Thailand, UK and Saudi Arabia. The majority of UAE travellers (78%) are opting for an international stay across a range of locations for the highly anticipated holiday in 2022. Meanwhile, domestic travel continues to be popular with the country’s longest serving travel provider, with beach staycations in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah trending.

Amidst a rise in demand for international travel this summer, Thailand is recording the biggest growth as a travel destination from the UAE compared to 2021, as it continues to witness significant demand since re-opening for tourism.

Meerah Ketait, head of retail and leisure UAE at dnata Travel, commented: “The UAE, Maldives and Thailand are driving a beach break trend for local travellers this UAE National Day. International travel continues to witness unprecedented demand, and dnata Travel’s strong partnerships in Asia and the Indian Ocean have secured a selection of dedicated UAE National Day offers.

“Our special offers, including more than 50% savings on bookings at world-class resorts on some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet, are driving a majority of bookings.“Stays in Mauritius and Bali are also making dnata Travel’s ‘top ten’, followed by cooler city breaks where a ‘festive markets’ trend is starting to emerge.”

The UK’s appearance in the ‘top five’ most popular travel destinations for the UAE National Day break represents a growing trend for dnata Travel customers to opt for hotel stays close to some of the world’s most famous festive-themed markets and other events. Leading the way for 2022 is London’s iconic ‘Winter Wonderland’, where the gorgeous Hyde Park is transformed with bright lights, an ice skating rink, theme-park rides, street food stalls, live music, and more.

dnata Travel’s list of top searches, enquiries and bookings with UAE travellers include European cities Prague, Vienna and Berlin. Known for their ever-popular, traditional festive markets, many have been running for decades and are now open for business for winter 2022.

City breaks in Jeddah and Riyadh are also rising in demand, as Saudi Arabia has eased its visa process for UAE residents. Its major cities offer an excellent starting point for a tour of the Kingdom’s tourism hotspots, with leisure travel continuing to grow. The Riyadh Season event is in full swing including its annual Riyadh Winter Wonderland theme park. In addition, the highly anticipated MDLBEAST SOUNDSTORM22 music festival is returning to the city from December 1 to 3, bringing hundreds of DJs and headline acts including DJ Khaled, Bruno Mars, Post Malone and Solomun.