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80% of UAE travellers want ‘dark sky destinations’, starry nights: Survey

25% of UAE residents also shared that they will not tag a destination that is less known on social media to keep it under wraps

Published: Wed 20 Nov 2024, 2:28 PM

Updated: Thu 21 Nov 2024, 12:46 PM

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Image used for illustrative purpose. Photo: File

Image used for illustrative purpose. Photo: File

Roughly 80 per cent of travellers in the UAE want to travel to “dark sky destinations” or places that have starry nights and a nocturnal environment. This was revealed by experts at a travel forum in Dubai.

“According to our research, 80 per cent of UAE travellers want darker skies, with stargazing experiences,” Carlo Olejniczak, vice-president and managing director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at booking.com told Khaleej Times. “This is a trend that we see happening across the board. Globally, two-thirds of travellers want the same but in the UAE, those numbers are higher. I was quite surprised.”

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Olejniczak was speaking on the sidelines of the Skift Global Forum East which took place in Dubai on Wednesday. He added that 53 per cent of UAE travellers prefer to fly to cooler locations. Many also choose to adjust their activities depending on their destination.

Approximately, 74 per cent of travellers consider night-time pursuits to avoid rising daytime temperature while 77 per cent reduce the time they spend in the sun by planning activities in the early morning or evenings.

Travel trends

Olejniczak added that wellness travel has grown in popularity in recent times. “We see that three-quarters of the travellers in the UAE are willing to pay for a vacation whose only objective is to help increase their lifespan or their wellness,” he said. “Eighty-six per cent of travellers are also willing to discover a new wellness activity for their vacation.”

He said more people are using technology to pick a destination, decide an itinerary and make bookings. “Eighty-five per cent of the respondents in the UAE think they will use technology to make better informed decisions,” he said. “Additionally, 71 per cent tell us that they are going to use AI to curate their trips and to build more personalised itineraries. Also, 85 per cent will use technology to find less crowded destinations”

He said that 25 per cent of UAE residents shared that they will not tag a destination that is less known on social media to keep it under wraps.

Olejniczak said that the company is embedding artificial intelligence (AI) into their trip-planning services to give customers a more personalised experience. “They can go on the app and ask specific questions like do you have charging stations for electric cars, or do you accept pets, and AI will scan the information available on the property list to provide the best answer.”

He added that the system which has been rolled out in seven countries in Europe has received positive signals, and will be extended to the rest of the world.

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