Business travel and consumer entertainment spending across the Gulf remained resilient this summer, according to joint data from Tumodo, the MENA-based B2B travel platform, and Platinumlist, the region’s entertainment discovery platform.

Business travel bookings across Mena rose 34.2% year on year, with Saudi Arabia leading growth.

Jeddah bookings increased 33.9%, Dammam 22.2% and Riyadh 18%, while Cairo rose 14.5%.

The busiest routes included Riyadh-Jeddah, Dubai-Riyadh, Cairo-Riyadh, Delhi-Dubai and Dubai-Cairo.

Average airfares increased 14.6% to $627, while average hotel rates fell 8% to $137 a night. Trips became longer, with average duration rising from 4.2 to 6.5 days.

One-way bookings declined from 79.2% to 72.8%, indicating more return trips, while business-class bookings rose from 6.1% to 8.6%.

The booking window remained around two weeks and visa requests were unchanged at 1.4%.

“Even with everything going on in the region this year, our data doesn’t show businesses pulling back on travel,” said Andrew Baturin, Chief Marketing Officer at Tumodo. “What we’re seeing this summer is that trips are fewer, longer, and more considered.”

In entertainment, Platinumlist data showed the UAE live entertainment market returning to year-on-year growth in June after a disrupted spring.

Arabic music led the recovery, generating more than four times the bookings recorded a year earlier.

Comedy bookings more than doubled, while classical and live music also grew through June and July.

Football demand was driven by Eid fixtures and World Cup fan zones, followed by the return of the AFC Champions League and UAE league matches in August.

Bookings from buyers with UAE accounts nearly doubled year on year, with most demand coming from residents.

International audiences are gradually rebuilding, while Egypt, Oman and Jordan showed early growth. Bahrain recorded double-digit growth and Qatar more than doubled from a smaller base.

Overall, consumers are booking entertainment more frequently across a wider range of categories while spending less per purchase. Platinumlist CEO Cosmin Ivan said demand is shifting rapidly between formats.

Across the Gulf, corporate and consumer demand held steady despite an unstable year, with travellers taking fewer but longer trips and consumers becoming more selective about entertainment spending. -TradeArabia News Service