An increase of 70.5% has been recorded in the travellers coming from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, who are as usual looking for an easy and quick getaway according to travel digital marketing platforms, Sojern. 

This sharp rise is due to the reopening of land, air, and maritime borders earlier this year. 

The statistics given broken down show that 35.8% of Saudi tourists are looking to book short local trips of up to one night, and 25.35% looking for stays of up to three days. However, with the quarantine restrictions still in place, it is harder for those shorter visits nearly impossible. Furthermore, it shows that 41.45% of Saudis are searching online are booking trips with only two to seven days’ notice before travelling. 

“This potentially highlights interest in the new opportunities to travel across the borders presented by relations being restored… A positive increase in search volume to Qatar in the last 14 days from Saudi Arabia can be observed as compared to the searches in the last 28 days,” Says Sojern in a blog analysing the first two weeks of 2021.

Danielle Curtis, exhibition director Middle East for Arabian Travel Market explains “Luxury travellers from the Middle East are more likely to travel with their children, compared with those from other regions (40% versus 36%). And when you add that fact to their planned frequency of travel, it makes the Middle East’s outbound luxury-travel sector one of the most sought after globally,” 

According to their survey, Middle East luxury travellers prioritise natural beauty (34%), beach holidays (34%), a pleasant climate (29%), and connectivity (28%) when selecting a holiday destination. Their main concerns when travelling are health risks (43%) and safety (35%).