UAE travellers value unique experiences over affordability, survey finds

UAE travellers value unique experiences over affordability, survey finds

Published: Sat 25 May 2024, 6:00 AM Last updated: Sat 25 May 2024, 8:07 AM

Creating a travel experience that meets the expectations is more important than the 'price' for UAE-based travellers, revealed a recent survey. Luxury travellers in the country and the wider region are increasingly seeking ‘exclusivity', according to travel consultants.

Matthew D Upchurch, chairman and CEO of Virtuoso, said that the outcomes of a latest study undertaken by his company, in collaboration with YouGov, highlighted that 55 per cent of travellers across markets, including the UAE, said a ‘customised travel experience’ was more dear to them than the cost.

This is particularly high for travellers based in UAE with 61 per cent of people prioritising the same. In neighbouring Saudi Arabia, 62 per cent of travellers also desire this.

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Upchurch said, “35 per cent of high-net-worth travellers are travelling for cultural reasons, 30 per cent are looking for adventure while 13 per cent are seeking expedition travel.”

‘Value’, not price

“Talking about the expectations – the issue is ‘value’, not price. Sixty-one per cent of the travellers seek this in the UAE. Then, [we see] significant numbers in Saudi Arabia, Mexico,