Pakistan becoming a top destination among MENA travellers

A leading online travel marketplace and travel app, Wego, has revealed in its analysis of travel trends that Pakistan is fast becoming a top travel destination for travellers in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region.

Although Saudi Arabia has retained the number one spot as top destination for international travel for MENA travellers in Q4 of 2023, followed by Egypt and India, Pakistan has seen consistent growth as a popular destination, reaching 5th place in the top 50 destinations list.

Speaking of Saudi Arabia’s popularity, which replaced Egypt as top destination last July, Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Business Officer, Wego said:

“We are thrilled to witness Saudi Arabia ascend as the foremost destination for travellers in the MENA region in Q4 of 2023. According to Wego’s data, the Kingdom stands out as a popular choice among travellers seeking a distinctive cultural experience and the opportunity to explore its diverse attractions.”

“As for the preferred European destination, the United Kingdom maintains its dominance as the top choice from the Middle East,” said Hmedan.

Wego Reveals Trending Destinations for International Travel in Q4’2023
–https://t.co/H7q2y6MA3m@Wego @WegoArabia pic.twitter.com/rZc5jR3tGG

— Riyadh Daily (@alriyadhdaily) February 6, 2024

Both Egypt and India are major source markets for foreign talent and labour for the Gulf region, the website said, noting that they have consistently held the top spots for international air travel. “Going as far back as 2014, Egypt has consistently been either #1 or #2 and India has invariably taken the #3 spots since 2016.”

چترال شہر، اج کا ایک خوبصورت منظر 🇵🇰🏔️❤️

Scenic View Of Chitral City, KPK 🇵🇰🏔️😍

📸 Affa Clicks pic.twitter.com/tCaT76ebnv

— Pakistan Tourism (@PakistanJannatt) February 4, 2024

However, Pakistan has been gaining ground in recent months helped by additional flights and fewer travel restrictions and is poised to rise to 4th place for Middle East destinations for 2024.

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Once a popular destination, Turkiye has experienced contrasting fortunes compared to Pakistan: “In mid-2022 & mid-2023, the depreciating lira and a more moderate Summer weather attracted bargain hunters to Turkey en masse. In recent months, as the lira has maintained a more stable exchange rate, travel interest in the country has somewhat cooled down.”

Last year Pakistan saw a 115 per cent increase in foreign tourism which has helped the country earn $1.3 billion in foreign exchange revenue, making a remarkable 92 per cent recovery to pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

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