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DUBAI/WAM
Ramadan 2025 has marked a turning point in how global travellers engage with the UAE, with new data from Visa showing a 6 percent year-on-year increase in visitors and a sharp shift in both traveller profiles and spending behaviour.
Released ahead of the Arabian Travel Market, Visa’s Travel Pulse Q1-2025 report revealed emerging markets delivered unexpected spending, with a 111 percent increase in spending among visitors from Azerbaijan, followed by Tajikistan (81 percent), and Kyrgyzstan (62 percent).
The report also showed that mid-market travellers (non-premium Visa cardholders) were the primary segment of travellers during Ramadan, accounting for 45 percent of total international visitor spend, up from 41 percent in non-Ramadan periods.
The visitor mix is also evolving, with a surge in inbound tourism from Central and Eastern Europe, led by the Czech Republic (86 percent increase compared to the rest of the year), Romania (67 percent), Poland (63 percent), and Germany (44 percent) – markets that are reshaping the UAE’s traditional tourist profile.
Salima Gutieva, Visa’s VP and Country Manager for UAE, said, “Ramadan used to be considered as a quiet time for travel. But the patterns we’re seeing now tell a different story. Our data shows the UAE is increasingly attracting new visitors that bring new spending behaviours and preferences. We’re seeing travellers adapt to changing economic conditions, which is reflected in the duration of their stay and how they spend.”