UAE travellers are ditching standard itinerary

The 2026 tourist is beauty-obsessed, farm-loving, and allergic to crowds

- BY DHANUSHA GOKULAN

UAE travellers are so done with following crowded tourist itineraries. New travel data reveals that in 2026, holidaymakers will abandon generic experiences to craft trips around their individual interests — from beauty treatments to mountain hikes to literary escapes and more.

Travel platforms Skyscanner and Expedia have identified a striking shift: UAE travellers are no longer asking “where should I go?” but rather “what do I love, and where can I do more of it?”

More than half of UAE travellers — 55 per cent — have purchased beauty products abroad, with 45 per cent now planning trips specifically to access skincare treatments and beauty stores.

"Beauty rituals have the potential to shape how, not just where, beauty lovers travel," according to Skyscanner's Travel Trends Report. Remarkably, 37 per cent cited beauty treatments as cheaper abroad than at home.