The travel agency based in the United Arab Emirates, dnata Travel, says that bookings to Russia from the UAE have increased by as much as 500% between the months of May and September this year in comparison to the same period in 2018.
Russian bookings were recently made visa-free for people with UAE nationality.
The retail and product head of dnata Travel, Emily Williams, says that travel to Russia from the UAE has experienced a massive increase in popularity in 2019 thanks to the ending of visa restrictions, its affordability, and the cooler climate during the summer.
Over 70% of those who booked to go to Russia with dnata Travel were able to stay in five-star hotels in the most popular destination, the capital city of Moscow, with the nation’s second-biggest city, St. Petersburg, being the next most popular location choice.
UAE travellers have a number of other reasons to book trips to Russia, however, with the in-house travel experts at dnata Travel saying that the rich history of the country and its world-famous architecture and art also attract tourists.
Other reasons cited for travelling to Russia from the UAE include world-class restaurants and hotels, and the country’s beautiful untouched nature.
UAE travellers are growing more and more adventurous in where they travel to, according to Williams.
While traditionally popular travel destinations such as the UK and the Indian Ocean islands remain in high demand, destinations that are off the beaten track are experiencing a spike.
Other destinations that were previously unpopular because of the long travel time to get there have also experienced a surge in interest from UAE travellers.
This summer, the travel agency has seen many locations grow in popularity, including the likes of Finland, New Zealand, South Africa and Taiwan.
Bookings for Finland have increased by as much as 51% with UAE residents in comparison with last year.
South Korea and Japan are popular tourist destinations all over the world, but Taiwan has experienced a popularity surge with the UAE in 2019, with a rise of as much as 47%.
There are daily flights via Emirates to Taipei with its great tourist attractions, terrific food, museums, hiking, shopping and amazing scenery.
South Africa, which also became visa-free in August, is also becoming more popular with UAE nationals.
The flight time from Dubai takes between eight and 10 hours, and travellers from the UAE are primarily booking stays in areas such as Cape Town, the beautiful Garden Route, Table Bay and the Western Cape.
Even a more long-haul destination such as New Zealand has experienced a 23% rise. with UAE travellers becoming increasingly willing to travel over 17 hours via Emirates to get there.
UAE travellers particularly like Queenstown, which is located on the South Island and is famed for the picturesque Lake Wakatipu and its excellent skiing.
Anyone travelling to another country from the UAE should take out travel insurance to ensure that they are financially protected from the likes of cancelled flights or other unforeseen events while on holiday.
