Sub-Highlights:
- Salalah up 12% while London prices drop 22%
- Sharm El Sheikh records the highest price increase at 33%… Al-Baha leads local destinations with 47.39% growth
- Saudis’ bookings to Najran rise 57.5%… infrastructure boosts the appeal of domestic destinations
The latest travel data reveals a surge in Saudis’ interest in destinations during the Summer 2025 season. Search and booking volumes recorded notable increases for both local and international cities, alongside clear accommodation preferences and practical rate trends that can inform end-of-summer and early-autumn plans, making this period rich with travel opportunities that reflect travelers’ passion for discovery and diverse experiences.
Rising Destinations
According to data from Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa, Assiut in Egypt topped the list of fastest-growing destinations searched from Saudi Arabia, with a 106% increase in searches and a 162% rise in bookings. It was followed by Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, which saw searches climb by 47.6% and bookings by 29.5%—highlighting return trips home for expatriates during the summer season.
Other natural destinations also stood out among Saudis’ preferences, led by Trabzon, Turkey, which recorded a 21.7% increase in searches and a 14.7% rise in bookings, along with Salalah, Oman, where searches grew by 10.3% and bookings by 23.4%, confirming its continued appeal as a seasonal “Khareef” (autumn) destination.
Domestic Destinations
Within Saudi Arabia, mountain and nature destinations continued to record strong momentum. Najran topped the list with a 24.3% increase in searches and 57.5% rise in bookings, followed by Al-Baha with 21.7% in searches and 38.6% in bookings, and Abha with a 10.1% increase in searches and a 15.7% rise in bookings.
This growing demand reflects the expanding role of domestic tourism, supported by infrastructure development and a diversity of events and activities, making local holidays a practical and attractive option without the need for long travel or visas.
Hotels on Top
Data showed that hotels remain the most-booked accommodation type for Saudi travelers during their international trips in July and August 2025, followed by aparthotels. Resorts and apartments are also favored by Saudi travelers.
Internationally, hotel booking share skews higher end, with 5-star leading at 37.3%. Domestically, 4- and 5-star stays account for just over half of bookings, reflecting demand for comfort on short-haul breaks.
Travel Costs
In terms of travel costs, Trabzon, Turkey stood out as a classic summer escape from the heat, with an average rate per person at USD 136 (-3% YoY). London, the premium long-haul favorite, looks more attainable this year with an average rate per person of USD 350 (-22% YoY).
Conversely, some seasonal destinations saw higher prices. Salalah, Oman benefited from its autumn season appeal, with an average rate per person reaching USD 214 (+12% YoY). On the Red Sea, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt climbs to an average nightly rate per person of USD 350 (+33% YoY), underscoring growing demand for its pristine beaches and coral reefs despite higher costs.
Domestically, costs rose in cooler highland destinations. In Abha, the average rate per person reached USD 157.77 (+15.78% YoY), while Al-Baha posted a close average of USD 157.70 per person (+47.39% YoY).
Travel Awareness
The data highlights how rising searches and bookings reflect Saudi travelers’ growing awareness of smart planning—choosing destinations that balance comfort, new experiences, and practical pricing. These trends also open opportunities for the tourism sector to develop innovative offerings that support Saudi Vision 2030 objectives for tourism growth.
Wego continues to play its role in supporting domestic tourism by providing smart booking tools, diverse travel content, and personalized recommendations for each user—making Saudi destinations clearer and easier to explore. This ensures a smooth, fast planning experience that strengthens trust between travelers and local destinations.
About Wego
Wego.com is the leading travel search engine across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East and is used by millions of travellers each month to save time, pay less and travel more. The company provides powerful yet simple to use tools that help travellers research trips, compare prices for flights and hotels across multiple websites, and to book travel online. Wego shows users an unbiased and channel neutral view of travel prices, providing a choice of booking direct with a hotel or airline, or via an online travel agent or aggregator. For more information, visit http://www.wego.com/about.
