Wellness, nature, food drive 2025 travel trends in EEMEA: MEI

The Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI) has released Travel Trends 2025, providing global consumer spending insights. The report highlights that passions and purpose-driven motivations remain key drivers in the travel industry.

 

Travellers are exploring wellness retreats, culinary scene in Istanbul, and leisure hubs in Saudi Arabia. The globalisation of sports has also transformed sports events into global spending hubs.

 

“Tourism remains an important driver for growth and diversification in the EEMEA region, and it’s great to see that the natural beauty, culinary variety and special experiences across Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, are held in such high regard by travellers. And while economic and geopolitical drivers do impact the decision of where to go, the desire for meaningful experiences still drives a big part of our travel decisions. The tourism landscape in the EEMEA region is evolving, with emerging destinations attracting investment and powering spending. The Mastercard Economic Institute’s report offers interesting insights on how countries are capturing the attention of eager travellers looking for something more than just a change of scene,” said Khatija Haque, chief economist EEMEA, Mastercard Economics Institute.

 

KEY FINDINGS FOR EEMEA REGION INCLUDE:

 

EASTERN EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA (EEMEA) TRENDS:

 

Nature-fueled adventures: MEI analysed major national parks on how commerce in the area is contributing to overall tourist expenditures.  Established wilderness giants such as South Africa and Zambia show the highest national park spending as a share of total cross-border, 23.3% and 15.5% in 2024, respectively.

 

Culinary crossroads: Istanbul tops the list of globalised foodie cities with its median restaurant hosting tourists from 67 different countries in 2024. Doha, Dubai, Marrakech and Cape Town are also on the list with diverse culinary experiences alongside their rich cultural attractions.

 

Wellness in the wild: Africa is establishing itself as a global leader in wellness-centered travel as consumers prioritise rejuvenation and self-care. The Wellness Travel Index (WTI), developed by MEI to highlight destinations leading the way for wellness experiences and self-care , has Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana among the top destinations for travellers seeking spa-style and nature-based retreats and immersive eco lodges. The rising WTI score for Kenya suggests a growing effort in the destination to meet this popular demand.

 

Top regional hotspots: Recent reforms made it easier to travel to Saudi Arabia which spurred a rise in passenger traffic to Jeddah and Riyadh. The government’s economic diversification efforts have also attracted newcomers: Investment in massive projects has created jobs and boosted business travel, while the development of tourism and leisure infrastructure is turning the kingdom into an emerging leisure destination.

 

Wheeling and dealing closer to home: In general, business travellers favour trips within their own regions, driven by hybrid work models and geopolitical uncertainty. However, there are exceptions, with UK businesses spending a growing share of their travel budgets in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) at the expense of trips within their region.

 

OTHER GLOBAL TRENDS:

 

Sports fandom fuels travel:  MEI examined spending within five miles of the venue for the Champions League Final in London. Real Madrid’s victory over Borussia Dortmund led to a 61% YOY increase in German spending, outpacing the overall increase of 14%, whereas Spanish spending spiked by 148% YOY, suggesting fans celebrated by splurging.

 

Currency changes can impact travel, but it varies regionally: In 2024, currency depreciation drove visitors in search of value to Japan, where a 1% JPY depreciation against the RMB led to a 1.5% increase in Chinese Mainland tourists. However, visitors from New Zealand and the US rose only around 0.2% in response to the same degree of depreciation relative to their currencies. -TradeArabia News Service