• LEISURE TRAVEL
protect their travel budgets, adjusting trip length or accommodation category rather than cancelling outright. Trip patterns are evolving. Skyscanner research shows that 76.2% of travellers prefer single-destination trips, and average trip lengths have increased to 13.5 days. A 2025 Skift report cited by BBC Travel supports this, noting a clear preference for fewer stops and deeper immersion. Flexible work arrangements are reinforcing longer stays that blend leisure, remote work and lifestyle travel. Wellness tourism, gastronomy, culture, entertainment districts and nature-based experiences are all gaining share. By 2040, extended stays and high- value experiential travel are expected to represent a significant portion of total leisure revenue. HOW BOOKING WILL EVOLVE Technology is accelerating conversion and personalisation across the leisure journey. Nearly half of travellers survey say they would be more likely to visit a destination if they could experience it virtually beforehand. AR and VR-led content has been shown to deliver conversion rates up to 94% higher than traditional formats. As immersive previews become more sophisticated, pre-trip planning will become experiential rather than purely functional. AI adoption is also advancing quickly. Skyscanner reports that confidence in AI trip planning rose from 47% in 2024 to 54% in 2025. By 2026, 38% expect to use AI to research destinations and 33% to build itineraries. In the UAE, 60% of travellers trust AI to plan their trips, compared with 48% globally. BCG and McKinsey point to the rise of agentic AI capable of searching, packaging and booking entire itineraries in seconds, optimising pricing and availability dynamically, and managing in-destination support. By 2040, AI will underpin much of the leisure booking ecosystem, requiring suppliers to invest in structured content, open APIs and interoperable systems. THE ME'S EXPANDING LEISURE ECONOMY One region poised to capitalise on international travel growth in the Middle East. According to the ATM Travel Trends Report 2025, regional tourism spending is set to exceed $350 billion by 2030, with
SPORTS TOURISM: THE HIGH-SPEND LEISURE BOOM
2x higher spend Sports event travellers spend up to twice as much per trip as the average leisure tourist, favouring premium hotels, hospitality packages and extended stays. +63% future growth The number of travellers planning a sports-related trip is projected to increase by 63% in the coming years, signalling strong forward demand.
$2 trillion by 2030 Global sports tourism is forecast to exceed $2 trillion in value by 2030, making it one of the fastest- growing segments of the travel economy. $600 billion Middle East market The Middle East sports tourism market alone is valued at approximately $600 billion, underpinned by mega-events and infrastructure investment.
80% destination loyalty effect Around 80% of sports event visitors either return as leisure tourists or recommend the destination, extending economic impact well beyond match day.
Sources: GSIQ, Tourism Economics
infrastructure anywhere in the world. Abu Dhabi is delivering equally strong performance. In the first nine months of 2025, the emirate welcomed 4.4 million hotel guests, up 2.9% year-on-year, and hotel revenues climbed 18.2% to AED 5.85 billion ($1.59 billion). Cultural tourism is a major driver. Visitation to cultural sites rose 47% in the first half of 2025. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque welcomed a record 6.8 million visitors; Louvre Abu Dhabi attracted 784,606 visitors; while Qasr Al Hosn and Manarat Al Saadiyat recorded strong double- and triple-digit growth. Newly opened teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, a multi-sensory art museum, drew more than 145,000 visitors shortly after launch. Regionally, Al Ain reported a 12% increase in hotel guests and was named GCC Capital of Tourism 2025 and Arab Capital of Tourism 2026. The sector is on track to contribute AED 62 billion ($16.9 billion) to Abu Dhabi’s economy in 2025 and support 255,000
inbound arrivals growing at nearly twice the global average. Supported by mega investment in tourism infrastructure, GCC countries are leading the charge: UAE: DIVERSIFICATION AND DEPTH Dubai – the GCC’s first mover into leisure tourism and now an established holiday hotspot on the global map – welcomed 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, a 5% increase and its third consecutive record year. Dubai International Airport retained its title as the world’s busiest international airport for the 11th consecutive year, attracting some 95.2 million passengers. Large-scale projects reinforce future capacity, from the $35 billion expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, which aims to create the world’s largest aviation hub, to new hotels and attractions such as Ciel Dubai Marina – the world’s tallest hotel tower – Dubai Reef, protecting marine diversity, and The Loop. This 93 km sustainable urban highway will become the smartest cycling & running
Above: Sports event travellers spend up to twice as much per trip as the average leisure tourist Right Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque welcomed a record 6.8 million visitors in 2025
58 | ATM YEARBOOK 2026
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator