Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) on Monday shared insights on Kuwait National Day travel trends for this year.
An exciting travel opportunity awaits Kuwaitis, as this year’s National Day and Liberation Day coincide with a long weekend. Wego found that Kuwait travellers respond to this 4-day government holiday by jetting off to popular destinations.
MENA cities are top destinations
With ample days off this year, Kuwaiti travellers still opt to enjoy vacations at relatively nearby destinations. Wego found that the prime cities booked from Kuwait for travel during the holiday include Cairo, Jeddah, Amman, Abu Dhabi, and Istanbul.
Notably, all these places grant visa-free entry to Kuwaiti passport holders, serving as a compelling incentive for travellers seeking to enjoy their vacation without much hassle.
Slight rise in ticket prices
Average airfares to the aforementioned top destinations have collectively experienced an increase of 13.4% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.
One-way ticket price to Istanbul on average, for example, has more than doubled for the February holiday season this year, while tickets to Jeddah and Amman are now pricier by 29.3% and 61.1% respectively.
Growth in travel interest
According to Wego’s data, there is a 17.2% YoY increase in international flight searches originating from Kuwait for travel during the National Day and Liberation Day holidays.
February in Kuwait is typically a highly-anticipated travel season with the annual dual celebrations. Wego has so far recorded a 23.5% uptick in bookings compared to the previous month’s figures for the same period.
As per Wego’s data, Kuwaiti travellers made their National Day trip bookings a little earlier this year.
On average, flights scheduled around the holiday were booked 33 days in advance, compared to an average of 29 days in 2023.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
