Riyadh - Saudi Arabia

Domestic tourism in Saudi Arabia is entering the National Day holiday with strong momentum, after the latest data on the Wego platform showed an increase in searches for domestic flights by 42% compared to the same period last year, while searches for hotels in various parts of the Kingdom jumped by 62%, in an indication of the growing trend of the population to spend short holidays within the country.

Jeddah is in the lead...and Taif jumps 91%

Jeddah topped the list of most searched destinations for domestic flights during the holiday period, followed by Medina, Riyadh, Dammam and Abha. But the surprise came from Taif, which recorded a growth in searches of 91%, while interest in Tabuk increased by 56%, which reveals the expansion of demand for nature destinations, mountains and coasts, in addition to major cities.

Mecca tops the hotels...and Al-Khobar is the fastest growing
At the level of accommodation, Makkah Al-Mukarramah topped searches for hotels, while Al-Khobar recorded the highest annual growth rate, as searches for accommodation there increased to more than three times its level in the corresponding period last year. Wego data indicates that the average duration of a planned trip is two nights, with reservations made about 10 days before travel on average.

Humaidan: The traveler discovers the Kingdom in different ways

Commenting on the numbers, Mamoun Humaidan, Chief Business Officer at Wego, said that the data reflects an increasing appetite to explore diverse experiences within the Kingdom, noting that travelers are moving between major cities, heritage destinations, mountainous regions, and coastal experiences.

Vacation turns into a short trip

This movement comes ahead of the 96th Saudi National Day on September 23, while separate Wego data showed a clear disparity in hotel prices during the occasion period. Average prices increased in some destinations, led by AlUla, while decreases appeared in Riyadh, according to a price sample monitored by the platform in August.

Investment opportunities and fertile options for Arab tourists and investors
The leap into research reveals an opportunity beyond airlines and hotels to restaurants, transportation, retail and tourism experience operators. For the Arab tourist present in the Kingdom during the occasion, the diversity of demand between Jeddah, Taif, Tabuk and Abha opens different options for combining National Day celebrations, the coast, mountains and heritage within a short trip.