Interest in European and Asian destinations is growing among GCC travellers for the summer season 2025, thanks to enhanced long-haul connectivity, says RateHawk, a B2B online system for booking hotels, air tickets, and transfers for travel professionals.
The top 10 outbound destinations for the entire summer include Turkey, Italy, France, Thailand, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, and the United States. The average transaction value for accommodation bookings is $1551, with an average stay of five nights, it said.
European destinations, with top choices in cultural capitals such as London, Paris, Milan, Munich, and Barcelona, remain a traditional favourite among GCC travellers seeking to escape the summer heat. The steady growth of tourism to Europe continues, driven by improved connectivity through the launch of new direct routes to popular destinations, including Saudia’s flight to Venice and Flydubai’s flights to various Greek resorts, such as Corfu, Santorini, and Mykonos.
Although Indonesia didn't enter the top 10 most-booked outbound destinations, it has become one of the fastest-growing travel choices, showing a remarkable two-fold increase in bookings year-over-year, according to RateHawk. Traditionally, over half (53%) of these bookings are located in Bali, particularly in popular areas such as Ubud, Kuta, and Munduk. The visa-free policy and strong air connections with the GCC region, including a newly launched Saudia flight from Jeddah to Bali, continue to boost tourism to this tropical island.
Thailand, another favourite Asian destination among GCC travellers, continues to show steady growth of 48% from last year, especially in areas like Bangkok and Phuket. Travellers heading to Asia typically choose longer stays, often up to one week in just one hotel.
Serkan Ozbay, Regional Director in the Middle East region, commented: “Summer season in the GCC region traditionally has two spikes in travel demand. The first peak aligns with the Eid Al-Adha holidays, which this year fall between June 5 and June 9, with Dubai as the most popular choice for a staycation within the region and Istanbul as the most preferred outbound destination. The second peak coincides with the start of the local school break in late June and early July, with bigger interest in long-haul summer getaways to Europe and Asia. Whatever destination travelers prefer, RateHawk helps travel agents find attractive offers from our extensive global inventory of 2.7 million accommodations. Additionally, our consolidation strategy, which combines sourcing from over 320 wholesalers, 100 DMCs, and over 130,000 direct contracts, allows our partners to quickly adapt to growing interest in emerging destinations.” -TradeArabia News Service
