Love A Staycation? Airbnb Reveals Strong Trend Amongst UAE Residents

More and more UAE nationals and residents prefer staycations, even during the hottest months. Crunching three-months worth of numbers from 22^nd May through to 22^nd August (a key booking period for travellers around the world), the online platform has identified the growth of staycations and domestic travel from residents within the United Arab Emirates as the number one summer trend.

Following Airbnb’s Arabic Website launch earlier this summer, this data indicates growth across the region: Ras Al Khaimah is proving popular with a 66% boost in year-on-year summer visitor numbers to stays on Airbnb, while there was a 59% growth during the same period for stays in Dubai.

Being able to access the website and App in native Arabic provides added incentive for guests travelling from the MENA region to the UAE with KSA visitors topping the list of foreign nationalities booking stays on Airbnb, followed by the United States and United Kingdom.

List of visitors to the UAE by country of booking (Summer 2019)*:

• United Arab Emirates
• Saudi Arabia
• United States
• United Kingdom
• France
• India
• China
• Australia
• Germany
• Canada

Airbnb’s accommodation marketplace provides access to a variety of stays around the world, enabling tourists to live like a local and enjoy authentic travel experiences. For travellers looking to try a staycation of their own, there are many interesting options that will make you feel like you’re on holiday: head to Jumeriah and get inspired by a European themed stay or check out Jumeirah Lakes Towers and get the feel of this Rio inspired Stay! For a taste of The Hamptons, try The Lakehouse Luxury Villa in The Lakes or even a South-East Asian inspired stay.

As of 1 January 2019 in the UAE, 10,000 listings were available on the Airbnb platform and hosts in the UAE welcomed more than 145,000 guests from around the world.** This sits in line with the UAE’s own goals of boosting tourism and diversifying the options available for visitors.

If you are planning on spending your next staycation in the UAE, here are some of the top Airbnb Experiences to see a different side to the city and escape the summer heat. From cultural walks to dancing – here’s a few ideas that help you beat the heat and learn something in the process.

Some inspirational examples of indoor Airbnb Experiences listed in UAE:

• A Cultural Walk: Louvre in Abu Dhabi
• Tea Ceremony: Chinese Tea Ceremony with Tony and Master Eva
• Dance Lesson: Salsa in Dubai
• Dance Party: Dance to Dubai’s Hip Hop Cardio scene

* Based on internal Airbnb data for the Top 10 nationalities visiting UAE between the period of 22 May to 22 August 2019.

** Based on internal Airbnb data for number of active listings in the UAE and number of guests traveling to listings in the UAE as of 1 January 2019.

As part of its commitment to the region, Airbnb signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Tourism (DTCM) in 2016 and with Ras al Khaimah in 2018 to encourage responsible hosting within the Emirates as well as promoting tourism diversification. Last year, Airbnb partnered with DCT Abu Dhabi to promote Emirati Experiences that allow guests from around the world to live like a local.