Direct flights and visa-free rules drive sales, UAE recovers gradually, says September 2026 Travel Barometer

Across all surveyed markets, demand concentrated on visa-free, direct-flight destinations—Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam, China, the Maldives and Sri Lanka—while Europe, especially Greece, remained weak due to expensive visas and limited direct connectivity. The UAE was the key recovery watch: interest is returning and bookings are slowly resuming, mainly to Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and RAK, but volumes remain well below pre-February 2026 levels, with agencies hoping for a stronger winter season and a fuller recovery in 2027. A total of 136 sales calls were conducted by Baginet across six markets. The approximate distribution was: Kazakhstan 31%, Russia 22%, Kyrgyzstan 14%, Armenia 11%, Azerbaijan 11% and Uzbekistan 11%.

Armenia, Yerevan

Agents reported strong demand for Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Southeast Asia, especially Vietnam and Thailand. UAE interest after the Middle East events is currently limited to Dubai and Sharjah, with direct flights from Yerevan; there were a few UAE bookings last year, but none so far this year. The UAE has historically been popular, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi leading, followed by Sharjah and RAK; the flow has dropped significantly, though occasional bookings remain. Agents hope for recovery next year and would like to join a fam trip to the UAE.  Greece remains a popular European beach destination alongside Cyprus, Italy and Montenegro; some booking requests failed because the visa centre did not allocate enough appointment slots, so tourists switched to visa-free countries.

Russia, Novosibirsk

The dominant trend is visa-free travel with direct flights: Vietnam, China, Thailand, Turkey, Egypt and Sri Lanka. There are no requests for Europe. UAE bookings are still very limited; tourists are not yet ready to book holidays there, though they remain interested in the region, and agents hope the situation improves next year. Some recovery is visible: confirmed bookings exist for Fujairah and Dubai, with flydubai and S7 operating direct flights from Novosibirsk. After the February–June sales ban, UAE traffic has begun to recover, with confirmed autumn and winter bookings for Dubai and Sharjah; one general manager was vacationing at a UAE 5* hotel and was very pleased.

Azerbaijan, Baku

UAE traffic is beginning to recover, primarily to Dubai for the autumn and winter seasons. Sales volumes are significantly lower than during the same period last year, though agents believe the situation should recover next year. After the suspension of tour sales to the Middle East, UAE bookings resumed but remained lower; several families have already been sent on holiday, and agents hope sales return to previous levels by 2027. The UAE has always been popular, but recovery is slow, and so far there are mainly requests for New Year holidays in Dubai. Turkey, Egypt, Thailand and the Maldives remain popular. Due to the political situation in the UAE and the wider region, some tourists are avoiding UAE hotels and choosing safer destinations such as Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand, Egypt and Europe; previously, the UAE was booked by those seeking a comfortable beach holiday near Dubai.  

Kazakhstan, Almaty

UAE traffic is recovering but remains below pre-2026 levels. There are September and October bookings for Dubai and Sharjah with direct Air Arabia flights, and agents expect sales to return to previous highs by 2027. Some agencies report confirmed bookings for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while others have five families booked to Sharjah and RAK for autumn and winter. At the same time, several travel agents report that their tourists prefer Turkey, Egypt, China, Vietnam and Thailand. Demand has shifted heavily to Southeast Asia: Thailand is a top performer with direct flights to Phuket, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin, and Hanoi is being added; Vietnam is growing rapidly with new operators such as Crystal Bay and Vietravel; Malaysia is more event- and business-focused; Bali remains popular despite connecting flights. 

Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek

UAE demand remains weak after the February and March events. Some agencies report no inquiries at all despite reasonable prices, while others say tourists are interested but not yet ready for booking. Now that flights have resumed, tourists remain hesitant but continue to monitor the situation, recovery is expected by 2027. Top destinations are Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt and Turkey. 

Uzbekistan, Tashkent

In February, after the events in the Middle East, tourists cancelled already booked tours to the UAE (mainly Dubai), and Qatar. Since then, there have been almost no requests for UAE or Middle East in general, which agents regret, though they hope for improvement. UAE traffic is now starting to recover: there are bookings for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and RAK for the autumn, and few bookings for Dubai for winter, but volumes have not returned to previous levels. The UAE has always been popular, but sales are declining due to instability. Current alternatives include Turkey, Thailand, the Maldives, Egypt and Vietnam. 

Baginet is a creative advertising and consulting agency specializing in tourism representation and marketing for international hotels and destinations. A core part of Baginet's work involves direct, face-to-face engagement with the travel agent community.