Major shift seen in how travellers plan and book trips

A decisive shift in how travellers plan and book trips is taking place and today’s high-intent travellers spend more time browsing, comparing, and seeking personalised content before committing, says a study.

 

Solo travel is on the rise among younger audiences, while Eid, summer, and Q4 festive periods remain peak seasons. Travellers from emerging markets prefer summer holidays, while GCC residents often seek winter getaways, says Yango Ads’ 2025 Tourism Industry Guide report.

 

The UAE’s tourism industry continues to surge in 2025, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most sought-after destinations. According to insights from Yango Ads, the Ad Tech division of Yango Group, increasing visitor numbers and growing demand for premium, experience-led travel are reshaping traveller behaviour and pushing brands to rethink their approach to advertising. 

 

Tourism remains central to the UAE’s economy, contributing AED236 billion or 12% of GDP in 2024. Dubai alone is gearing up for record-breaking tourism, welcoming 9.88 million overnight visitors in just H1 of 2025. Strategic government investments such as Etihad Rail, tourism visa reforms, and Visit Dubai campaigns are reinforcing the country’s long-term diversification goals. This has made the UAE a top destination for global, regional, and emerging markets.

 

Malika Kennedy, Chief Business Development Officer, Yango Ads MEA, commented: “The UAE’s tourism industry is in a transformative phase. Globally, travellers are more discerning, spending more, and expecting seamless experiences across channels. For brands, this means moving beyond seasonal campaigns to smarter, intent-driven strategies. At Yango Ads, we’re helping partners harness AI-powered targeting, geo-data, and behavioural signals to engage travellers at the right moment and drive measurable impact.” 

 

High-intent travel signals include frequent searches, travel app use, and engagement with digital content. With nearly half of emerging market travellers ready to spend over $2,000 per trip and a majority choosing four- or five-star hotels, Yango Ads advises brands to map the customer journey holistically; sparking inspiration during the planning stage, geo-targeted experience offers mid-trip, and re-engaging after travel through loyalty campaigns.

 

With digital engagement accelerating, ad investment is rising in parallel, with the UAE spending projected to reach $1.22 billion in 2025. Modern strategies are increasingly relying on programmatic advertising, first-party data, super apps, and location-based targeting. Travel brands are leading the shift, with nearly half of travellers influenced by targeted ad campaigns, 41.7% relying on search engines, 21% engaging via Telegram Ads, and 20% guided by social media recommendations, it said

 

Campaign outcomes highlight this growing digital responsiveness. Yango Ads’ GGC Tourism brand awareness campaign, aimed at increasing engagement, achieved a 13% increase in actual flight and hotel bookings on travel aggregator platforms with a seven-day attribution window. This sort of cross-platform analytics is possible due to a connected CDP and rich first-party data, said Yango Ads. 

 

In 2025, India remains the UAE’s largest source of visitors, followed by Saudi Arabia, the UK, Russia, China, and several emerging markets that are contributing steadily to overall growth. This marks a shift from 2024, when the UK ranked second ahead of Saudi Arabia, highlighting the Kingdom’s growing importance as a key market.

 

"As the UAE continues to attract record visitors, the opportunity for brands to align with evolving traveller behaviours has never been greater. Success will depend on early planning to capture seasonal opportunities, along with personalised and experiential campaigns that drive deeper engagement and conversion," said Yango Ads.