Tourists in the Gulf no longer flock to malls and beaches, says report: Where are they going now?

For decades, Gulf tourism conjured images of shopping malls, luxury resorts, and sun-soaked beaches. But that narrative is beginning to shift. A new generation of travellers from the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia is redefining what it means to explore the region, trading retail therapy for cultural immersion, and luxury for meaning.

This evolving mindset is at the heart of a new report by PwC Middle East and global travel intelligence firm Mabrian Technologies. “Stay Play Shop: Shaping Integrated Destinations for Connected Visitor Experiences” urges policymakers and tourism leaders to move beyond conventional destination planning, and start designing journeys that reflect the deeper, more purposeful motivations of today’s travellers

From Sightseeing to Soul-Seeking: The Rise of Cultural Travel
The study reveals that arts and culture now top the list of travel motivators, surpassing traditional draws like retail shopping and beach resorts. Specifically:

• In Qatar, 28.5% of visitors cite cultural experiences as their primary reason for visiting.
  
  
• The UAE follows closely with 26.6%.
  
  
• Saudi Arabia registers 24.5%.
  
  

This marked shift is giving rise to four distinct types of travellers, each with unique needs and expectations:

Culture Seekers, drawn to museums, heritage, and local stories.

Regional Family Explorers, seeking flexible travel options for multi-generational groups.

Wellness-Minded Weekenders, focused on calm, nature, and self-care.

Blended-Purpose Voyagers, combining business, leisure, and personal growth.

Changing Travel and Accommodation Habits
Accommodation trends are evolving in step with shifting traveller expectations. In Saudi Arabia, alternative lodging options such as short-term rentals are seeing significant growth, family bookings have surged by 90%, while group stays have risen by 60%. In Qatar, hotel apartments are leading the market with a 74.6% occupancy rate, reflecting strong demand for flexible, longer-term stays.

As Philippe Najjar, Destinations Consulting Partner at PwC, told Gulf News, travel today is more “fluid,” with people increasingly blending work, leisure, and lifestyle into a single journey. He stressed that tourism leaders must consider not just where travellers go, but “how deeply they connect with those places.”

How Gulf Destinations Can Adapt to New Expectations
To stay relevant in this new travel landscape, the report recommends that Gulf cities move away from outdated destination models built around isolated zones, malls, or resorts. Instead, destinations should be designed as integrated ecosystems — blending accommodations, culture, retail, events, and wellness experiences into a connected journey that engages travellers more deeply.

Infrastructure, however, is just one piece of the puzzle. Speaking to local media, Sonia Huerta, Vice President Advisory at Mabrian Technologies, highlighted the importance of collaboration across sectors. “ Strong public-private partnerships are key,” she said, underlining the need for destination marketing organisations, hoteliers, tour operators, and retailers to work together.

She added that consistent monitoring of traveller sentiment and satisfaction will be vital to enhancing the visitor experience. According to Huerta, the Gulf region has enormous potential to raise the quality of these experiences, and the payoff, she noted, could be just as significant.