Muscat among trending destinations for 2026: Report
The capital, Muscat, is among the trending destinations for four in five (79 percent) travellers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) who plan to go on more or the same number of holidays in 2026 compared to 2025, the Marriott Bonvoy said in its 2026 EMEA Ticket to Travel Report.
According to Marriott Bonvoy’s booking data analysis, other preferred destinations are Oslo in Norway, Algiers in Algeria, Split and Zagreb in Croatia, and Copenhagen in Denmark. UAE and Saudi Arabia feature in the top 10 must-visit destinations.
The report added that artificial intelligence has become a core component of trip planning for millions of consumers in EMEA, with half of all travellers in the research (50 percent) saying they have used AI to plan or research a holiday – this is up from 41 percent last year and just 26 percent the year before, showing a strong rise in two years. Almost one in seven (14 percent) say they use it ‘all the time’ for travel planning.
Those aged 18-24 are most likely to have used it previously (71 percent), while those aged 25-34 are most likely to use it ‘all the time’ (24 percent). However, older travellers are using AI too – three in ten (29 percent) of those aged 55-64 have – up from 18 percent last year.
Reinforcing the increased familiarity and trust travellers are placing in AI, half (50 percent) say that in the future they would feel ‘comfortable’ booking holiday accommodation through AI platforms. Just 18% say the idea makes them ‘uncomfortable’.
The findings, published in Marriott Bonvoy’s 2026 Ticket to Travel Report, are based on research conducted by Mortar among more than 22,000 adults across 11 regional markets.
According to the report, 79 per cent of travellers plan to take the same number or more holidays in 2026 compared to 2025, averaging five trips, two domestic, two short-haul, and one long-haul.
More than half of travellers plan to visit multiple countries in one trip next year, a trend led by 25–34-year-olds. All-inclusive holidays are now the most sought-after trip type in the region, ahead of both city and resort breaks.
Meanwhile, Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb announced that a unified Gulf visa is expected to be launched next year, while the pilot launch of the Unified GCC Tourist Visa could be launched in 2025, according to earlier reports quoting the UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism.
Speaking at the Gulf Gateway Investment Forum in Manama recently, Al-Khateeb said the GCC countries are positioning the Gulf as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.
He said the region’s four major airlines carried around 150 million passengers last year, though only 70 million traveled within the Gulf.
The Sultanate of Oman, along with other GCC countries, stands to benefit from the GCC Unified Tourist Visa, which aims to simplify travel across member states.
Ali Siddiqui, Research Manager, Cavendish Maxwell, said, “Complementing this initiative, the upcoming Oman–UAE Hafeet Rail will improve cross-border connectivity, making it easier for visitors from the UAE to explore Oman.” He added, “For the hospitality sector, this could lead to higher occupancy, longer stays, and increased visitor spending. The average length of stay for tourists in Oman is between 5 and 6 nights, as per some estimates.
This article was originally published in Oman Observer.
