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TGM Global Travel Insights 2025
Key Insights from the TGM Travel Report 2025

MENA Travel Trends 2025: Intentional, Digitally-Led, and Self-Designed

June 09, 2025
(Updated June 26, 2026)
Travel trends across the MENA region reveal how travelers are discovering, planning, and experiencing trips in 2025. As digital channels and self-directed planning become more influential, understanding these behaviors is increasingly important for travel brands and destinations.

MENA Travel Trends 2025

Written by
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TGM Marketing Team

We're a team of storytellers, here to give you the strategic clarity you need to stay ahead in a constantly changing global market.

According to the latest TGM Global Travel Insights 2025 , one in three MENA travelers plans to explore destinations within the region this summer. But this trend isn’t simply about staying closer to home, it’s about choosing experiences that feel more personal, more flexible, and fully within their control.

This year, travel from MENA isn’t just bouncing back. It’s breaking away from tradition entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Around 1 in 3 MENA travelers plan to travel within the region this summer.
  • Travelers in MENA prefer flexible, self-planned trips over traditional tour packages.
  • Facebook remains the top platform for travel discovery across all age groups.
  • Younger travelers are heavily influenced by Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube travel content.
  • Shopping, beach activities, and photography are among the most popular travel experiences in the region.
  • MENA travelers want more personalized travel experiences that feel independent, flexible, and easy to control.

How MENA Travelers Discover Trips in 2025

The rise of digital platforms is reshaping how MENA travelers find and plan their trips.

Facebook remains the most influential platform for travel discovery among MENA travelers, according to TGM Research's MENA Travel Insights 2025 (n=5,000; 5 MENA markets). But behind this shared starting point, behaviors diverge. Younger travelers (18–34) are expanding their search across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, drawn to short-form, video-led content that inspires action. Meanwhile, older travelers still lean toward trusted, structured sources such as official travel websites and booking platforms.

Yet across all ages, one pattern holds true: travelers want independence. Increasingly, MENA audiences are booking online and planning their own trips, favoring flexibility over fixed itineraries and custom journeys over traditional packages.

Facebook remains the most influential platform for travel discovery, widely used across generations.

How MENA Travelers Personalize Relaxation

If digital platforms shape how trips begin, the reasons for traveling remain deeply human. Relaxation is the leading motivation across all age groups, but how it’s experienced varies.
The same TGM survey reveals that younger travelers more often choose budget-friendly lodging, while older travelers show a stronger preference for deluxe or premium stays (3–5 stars).

Once at their destination, the most common activities among MENA travelers include shopping and enjoying time at the beach, both of which blend leisure with sensory and cultural engagement. Photography also plays a significant role in the travel experience, particularly for younger audiences. These travelers are highly visual and social by nature, capturing their journeys through photos and videos and sharing them across platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

In doing so, they not only document their experiences but also inspire others in their network to follow suit.

According to the TGM Travel Report 2025, beach and leisure activities remain the top global choice

How Travel Brands Can Connect with MENA’s New Wave of Travelers

The MENA traveler in 2025 is digitally engaged, self-guided, and motivated by experiences that feel personal and in control. To resonate in this market:
  • Adapt across digital touchpoints: Reach younger travelers through Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, while maintaining a strong presence on Facebook and trusted travel websites to engage older audiences.
  • Enable independent planning: Offer intuitive tools, mobile-friendly booking platforms, and flexible options that support self-led travel across all age groups.
  • Cater to diverse travel styles: Provide lodging and activity choices that reflect varying needs - from budget-conscious exploration to premium comfort, without assuming one-size-fits-all.
Because in MENA, travel is no longer about the destination alone, it’s about how travelers discover, plan, and shape the experience as their own.
Want a broader perspective? See what APAC travelers expect from their trips, how Europeans use online platforms, and what LATAM audiences care about most.

Methodology

The TGM Global Travel Insights 2025 study is based on a large-scale quantitative survey conducted across 21 countries worldwide. TGM Research conducted 21,000 Computer-Assisted Web Interviews (CAWI) with travelers globally, including 5,000 participants across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The study was designed to capture travel behaviors, destination preferences, booking habits, and key decision drivers shaping travel in 2025.
  • Survey Methodology: online interviews (CAWI – Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing)
  • Sample Size: 5,000 participants
  • Age Groups: 18–55+
  • Country Coverage: Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE
  • Data Weighting: Results have been weighted to reflect regional demographics for accurate market representation.
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