Skyscanner: improved connectivity drives Middle East & North Africa demand; travel remains priority

Improved air connectivity and seat capacity are helping make travel easier, both regionally and internationally, as airlines respond to traveller demand.

What's more, countries and airport hubs across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are playing a vital role in connecting East and West as travel continues to flourish.

Travel remains a top priority as people continue to ring-fence budgets and invest in leisure trips and, across the Middle East especially, many countries have ambitious tourism growth plans and will become important drivers of both inbound and outbound travel in the years to come.

Recovery from the COVID pandemic has allowed airlines to rebuild and expand their networks to explore new and different locations.

This willingness to venture into new routes and build new markets supported the rebuild of global capacity to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and there are increased expectations that airlines will go beyond this in 2024, connecting the globe better than ever before.