Wego Unveils Top Destinations And Trends For Saudi National Day Holiday

Wego, the number 1 travel app and the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) shares findings on Saudi travelers’ plans during the National Day holiday.

Wego is expecting an increase in domestic travel searches and bookings as Saudi Arabia gears up to celebrate its 94th National Day on September 23rd, which provides the ideal chance for a short vacation. Residents started planning their trips to both domestic and international destinations.

Wego’s data shows that the most popular travel destinations from the previous year—such as Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam—remain popular and still draw a lot of interest. Other coastal and cultural cities like Abha, Al Madinah, Tabuk, Jazan, and Taif follow. Travelers from Saudi Arabia seek out a variety of scenic holiday sites and entertainment hotspots, and these places cater to their different preferences.

Type of travelers

In 2023, solo travelers accounted for 66% of all domestic bookings on Wego during the National Day holiday. The trend is expected to continue this year, with independent travelers making up the majority of bookings, followed by couples and families.

Luxury Travel Remains in Demand

Saudi travelers of all types continue to prefer 5-star hotels for this year’s getaway, indicating a strong demand for comfort and luxury experiences.

Exclusive National Day offers on Wego

Wego is providing exclusive National Day discounts of up to 15% on hotels and flights to help travelers make the most of their savings. Saudi travelers can use promo code WEGOFKSA24 for flight bookings and WEGOKSA24 for hotel stays on Wego. The promo is only applicable when booking directly with ‘Book on Wego’ (T&C applied), Wego’s premier Online Travel Agency (OTA) platform.

“Travelers can avoid the stress of last-minute arrangements and secure the best deals by making plans in advance and utilizing early booking deals through Wego,” said Mamoun Hmidan, Chief Business Officer at Wego.

Boosting Saudi’s domestic tourism

Wego has noted an encouraging rise in domestic travel searches on its platform in the past few years.

Compared to 2019, searches for domestic trips have grown nearly sevenfold. In the first two quarters of 2024 alone, Wego recorded a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 25.74% in overall trip searches, with a 22.5% rise in domestic travel searches.

As Saudi Arabia continues to invest in its tourism sector under the banner of Vision 2030, Wego’s growth reflects the rising appetite for domestic travel and trust in online travel platforms. In Q1 2024, Wego was the most downloaded and used flight search app in Saudi Arabia according to data.ai, further cementing its position as the top choice for travelers in the Kingdom.

The National Day holiday in Saudi Arabia will last for 4 days this year. It is anticipated that domestic travel will increase during the National Day celebrations due to the extended holiday period. This provides travelers with more time to explore different destinations and enjoy leisure activities.