One month to UAE school holidays: Why families are rethinking summer travel in 2026

Dubai: With exactly one month left until schools across the UAE break for summer, families are entering one of the busiest travel booking periods of the year — but many are planning holidays differently in 2026.

Across the aviation and travel industry, the mood is one of “cautious optimism.” UAE residents are still travelling in large numbers, but rising costs, geopolitical tensions and visa delays are reshaping how — and where — people spend their summer holidays.

The trends are similar even globally. International tourist arrivals grew 2 per cent over the first quarter of 2026, despite disruption caused by the crisis in the Middle East in March, according to the latest data from UN Tourism.

Some 307 million tourists travelled internationally in the first quarter of 2026, about 6 million more than the same period of 2025.

While the start of the year saw sustained travel demand overall (+2.5 per cent cumulative growth in January and February), the Middle East conflict impacted performance in March (+0.4 per cent).

The conflict is expected to reduce growth in international arrivals by 1 to 2 percentage points below UN Tourism's initial forecast of 3 to 4 per cent for 2026, depending on the conflict's duration and scope.

Aside from disruptions in flights to, from and within the Middle East and effects on traveller confidence, the spike in oil prices and jet fuel shortage in some markets is increasing air fares and reducing flight capacity also in other regions.

More expensive travel coupled with uncertainty about air connectivity, could redirect demand towards closer tourism destinations while also affecting overall travel demand.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Shaikha Al Nuwais said, "The ongoing conflict in the Middle East is disrupting travel patterns well beyond the region itself, including rising inflation, particularly in transport and accommodation."

She added, "This is placing pressure on travellers, businesses and destinations alike. Even amid this uncertainty, international tourism continued to show resilience in the first quarter of 2026, with 307 million people travelling internationally, a 2 per cent increase on last year."

"At a time of growing geopolitical and economic pressure, this reinforces tourism's wider role in supporting economies, creating opportunity and sustaining communities far beyond the sector itself."

Travel shift

Travel companies say families are increasingly choosing shorter trips, nearby destinations and flexible itineraries instead of expensive long-haul holidays.

Global industry data also points to the same shift. Travel companies including Airbnb and Expedia say travellers are prioritising affordability, regional destinations and activity-led holidays this summer, while many are staying closer to home altogether.

According to CNBC, concerns over geopolitical tensions and rising travel costs are pushing more travellers towards domestic and regional travel across Asia-Pacific.

Popular destinations

“Compared to last year, the outbound travel demand has stayed rather consistent,” Meher Sawlani of Richmond Travels told Gulf News. While there hasn’t been y-o-y growth in passenger demand, Meher said the demand is consistent with last year’s numbers. “There is this eagerness to travel,” she said.

She said UAE travellers are still booking holidays despite higher airfares and ongoing uncertainty in parts of the region.

“People are doing the US, although visas are an issue. Japan was more during cherry blossom season. Europe, Maldives and Kenya are among popular destinations,” she said.

However, according to Afi Ahmed, Chairman of Smart Travels, the summer travel rush is yet to kick off. “Travellers haven’t begun booking en masse compared to last year’s trends. People are being cautious about their spending,” he said.

Diaspora travel

Sawlani added that some UAE-based expatriate families are combining trips between countries to maximise value. “Travellers are doing part of their holidays in their home countries, and the other part in holiday destinations,” she said.

Travel behaviour itself is also changing. Sawlani said travellers are now more willing to accept longer transit times if it helps reduce costs or secure better availability.

“If there is a transit and the layovers are too long, they are ready to see that route. Initially, people just wanted to go direct,” she said.

What airlines are doing?

Airlines are also preparing for a busy few months ahead.

Etihad Airways says it expects strong demand across its network during the summer travel season. The Abu Dhabi-based airline has introduced additional baggage offers and expanded check-in options to ease congestion during peak periods.

Passengers using Etihad’s city or home check-in services in Abu Dhabi between May 19 and August 16 will receive 1,000 Etihad Guest Miles and an additional 3kg baggage allowance.

Budget-conscious travellers are also closely watching airfare promotions ahead of summer. Air India Express recently launched a limited-period “Xpress Sale” offering discounted fares across domestic and international routes, including flights between the UAE and India.

The airline said some tickets were discounted by up to 50 per cent for travel between June 15 and October 10, covering the peak summer travel season.

UAE staycations

At the same time, those who don’t want to travel have no dearth of local experiences. Many UAE residents are increasingly looking at local luxury escapes instead of international trips.

Travel platform Wego says resorts in Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain are seeing growing interest this summer as families seek shorter breaks without the stress of international travel.

Properties, including desert resorts, beach hotels, and luxury glamping destinations, are being heavily marketed to UAE residents planning staycations.

Mehar said Ras Al Khaimah hotels were heavily booked during Eid Al Adha. “Many of the hotels in RAK were stop sale or sold out because of staycation demand,” she said. “Rates were really good during the Eid period. Discounts were mostly on blackout dates.” She added that demand extended beyond leisure travel.

“We saw a huge jump in demand. We did events as well. Corporate events, MNCs, Eid setups for employee programmes,” she said.

Travel trends

Globally, travel companies say travellers are also prioritising experiences over traditional sightseeing holidays.

Airbnb says “playcations” — trips built around hobbies and recreational activities — are becoming one of the biggest travel trends this summer, alongside nostalgia-driven travel and shorter regional breaks.

Expedia says demand for domestic and nearby travel continues to grow globally as travellers look for better value amid rising costs.

“This summer, travel isn’t slowing down — it’s being reshaped,” Expedia Group said in its latest travel trends report.

For UAE families now entering the final school countdown, the message from the travel industry is clear: demand remains strong, but travellers are becoming far more careful about how they spend.