There’s no doubt about it, it’s been a tough year for the tourism industry – especially in the Middle East, where regional conflict and the knock-on effects have disrupted travel.
Despite a record-breaking year for global tourism in 2025, the geopolitical situation has impacted travel to the Middle East and Gulf in 2026, with visitor numbers, air capacity and hospitality bookings all taking a significant hit.
While much of the conversation on the sidelines at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai centred on this year’s major disruptions, there were also signs of industry recovery.
Unveiled this week, the ATM Travel Trends Report 2026 revealed that international travel across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region is forecast to rebound by 17% in 2027, “more than twice the projected global growth rate of 8%”, according to Tourism Economics, which co-produced the report.
It’s also expected that international visitor spending in the Middle East will increase by $116 billion (€100.58 billion), or 57%, between 2025 and 2030.
Speaking at ATM Dubai, Dave Goodger, Managing Director EMEA of Tourism Economics, was “optimistic” about the forecasts.
“Over the next five years we see travel expanding on a structural basis rather than just a cyclical rebound,” he said. “International travel has never mattered more. This year is disrupted by an uncertain economic and geopolitical backdrop, but consumers are treating travel as essential.”
As the industry looks towards recovery and the long-term, many trends are emerging that could shape the next era in tourism.
From the “premiumisation” of travel and rise of lesser-known destinations to the use of AI for trip discovery, we take a look at the report’s main findings and some of the other big talking points on the ground this week at ATM Dubai.
The ‘premiumisation’ of travel
Luxury remains an important part of the travel market, particularly in the Middle East and Gulf, where Goodger said nearly 80% of prospective visitors prioritise luxury when travelling. But “premiumisation” extends beyond traditional five-star hotels.
Travellers are increasingly willing to spend more on particular elements of a holiday that matter to them, from upgraded airline cabins to memorable activities.
“People want those luxury experiences, they want those premium experiences, but they will save money where they can,” Goodger said. The report also found that 35% of travellers were more interested in premium experiences than two years ago.
Value hunting and price-conscious travel
The search for value is happening alongside premiumisation rather than replacing it. In a separate interview with Euronews Travel, Goodger said greater price-consciousness was a “global challenge”, evident across Europe, North America, China and other Asian markets.
“People are price conscious, they’re looking for value, but they are looking for valuable experiences,” he said. That could mean spending less on accommodation to pay for the experiences that motivated the holiday in the first place.
“They’re not just saying… ‘I’m going to find the cheapest package holiday I can do’,” Goodger added. “They are saying, ‘I will downgrade on the hotel, but I still really want to do that experience that I’m doing while I’m there’.”
The rise of lesser-known destinations
Of the travellers surveyed, 56% are more interested in exploring new destinations than they were two years ago, rising to 68% among prospective visitors to MENASA.
While this creates opportunities for secondary cities and regions away from established tourism hotspots, it doesn’t mean that Paris, London and other tourism giants are losing their appeal.
Goodger said first-time international travellers still want to “stand in front of the Eiffel Tower” or “see Buckingham Palace”, while repeat visitors are increasingly venturing further afield.
“They’re the ones that are going to the new destinations, the new regions, the secondary destinations,” he told Euronews Travel.
Experience-first travel
Travellers are increasingly choosing an experience or passion first and building their trip around it.
Culture and authentic experiences are among the priorities highlighted by Tourism Economics, while travellers are showing greater interest in activities, food and sport.
“People are looking for experiences,” Goodger said at ATM. “They want new experiences. They want these cultural experiences.”
Overtourism and when people travel
Mass tourism is also beginning to influence travel decisions. Tourism Economics’ research found that three in 10 travellers actively avoid destinations because of overcrowding concerns.
Goodger told Euronews Travel that overtourism remains particularly significant in Europe, although the shift away from crowded destinations is still “very subtle”.
One emerging trend is travelling outside the busiest months. “We are seeing a bit of a flattening of seasonality,” he said. “People are looking outside of peak season for travel, just so they can have that experience without the crowds.”
This could benefit destinations attempting to spread visitors more evenly across the year, as well as lesser-known places looking to attract travellers away from overcrowded hotspots.
Event tourism
Travellers are increasingly crossing borders specifically to attend events, adding further momentum to the rise of sports and music tourism. Three in 10 travellers surveyed said they were more interested in event-related travel than two years ago.
Goodger highlighted “sporting, cultural [and] religious events” as increasingly strong drivers of travel, particularly in the Middle East.
Business events are also important with association meeting attendance in the Middle East nearly doubling over the past decade.
AI for trip discovery
Perhaps the biggest change to how travellers discover and plan their next trip is the growing use of AI. Goodger said travellers interested in visiting the Middle East are particularly “tech-forward”, with AI chatbots already playing a significant role in trip planning.
The report found that 28% of prospective visitors to the Middle East had used an AI chatbot to plan a trip, compared with 12% of travellers interested in other regions.
AI could also help bring lesser-known destinations into consideration as travellers move away from traditional keyword searches towards more conversational queries based on the type of holiday they want.
For destinations, Goodger said that means being visible in a rapidly changing discovery landscape. “It’s absolutely crucial for the destinations to be discoverable through those different platforms.”