Religious travel trends in Saudi Arabia: Pilgrimage to Mecca 2025
Mabrian's latest data reveals the growing travel impact of Hajj 2025, with over 151.6 million flight seats scheduled to Mecca, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – a 1.2 million seats increase compared to 2024 festivities.
BARCELONA, SPAIN – As one of the largest annual gatherings in the world, Hajj 2025 is expected to attract millions of Muslim pilgrims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, from June 4th to June 8th. In anticipation of this sacred journey, Mabrian, the global travel intelligence company part of The Data Appeal Company – Almawave Group, reveals new insights into the global travel impact of the event – shedding light on air connectivity, travel patterns, accommodation choices, and visitor profiles.
The data helps quantify the significance of this religious pilgrimage as a major travel and tourism phenomenon.
Over 151.6 million airline seats are scheduled to Mecca for Hajj 2025: Scheduled air availability to travel between June 1st and 9th, increase by 3.2% year-over-year, and by +1,2 Million (+0.8%) compared to last year's Hajj, which took place from June 14th to 19th.
Most top 10 source markets show increased air connectivity, with Brazil (+8.2%) and Germany (+3.4%) among the highest: Compared to Hajj 2024, nearly all of the top 10 source markets by air connectivity have shown slight increases: the United States (+0.1%), India (+0.6%), Japan (+3.2%), Spain (+2.7%), United Kingdom (+1%), Germany (+3.4%), Türkiye (+4%), Italy (+0.6%), and Brazil (+8.2%). The only exception is China, which saw a 3% decline in seat availability.
Among countries with large Muslim population, Malaysia (+12.6%) and Egypt (+8.5%) lead in increased seat availability: Among countries with significant Muslim populations, air capacity changes vary. Compared to 2024, Indonesia shows a decline of -8.6%, while Malaysia (+12.6%), Egypt (+8.5%), Ethiopia (+5.1%), and Pakistan (+4.8%) all show positive growth in seat availability.
Average stays range from 1.8 nights (domestic) to 3.1 nights (international), with most travellers choosing hotels (88%): The average length of stay is 2.3 nights, with longer durations for international visitors – Egyptians (3.1 nights), Malaysians (2.8), Indonesians (3.1), and British travellers (2.5), whereas domestic visitors average shorter stays of 1.8 nights. In terms of lodging, 88% of visitors stay in hotels, while 12% opt for apartments or alternative accommodations. Among hotel guests, 35.2% stay in 5-star hotels, 28% in 4-star, 19.5% in 3-star, and 17.3% use alternative accommodation.
Hotel guests are mostly couples (50.5%), while apartment users prefer group accommodations: Hotel guests in Mecca during Hajj are mainly couples (50.5%), with 22.3% being families, 15.1% groups of friends or extended families, and 12.1% solo travellers. Apartment users show different behaviours; in fact, 52.1% book properties for 3–5 guests, 20.6% choose larger accommodations for over 5 people, 25% book for 2 people, and 2.3% are solo travellers.
'Hajj is not only a profound spiritual journey, but also a major global travel event,' says Carlos Cendra, Partner and Director of Marketing & Communications at Mabrian. 'Our data highlights how destinations, airlines, and accommodation providers may adapt to the evolving needs of religious travellers , a key and growing segment globally.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Travel Daily News
13-06-2025
- Travel Daily News
USTOA brings member delegates to the capitol
NEW YORK – The United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) escorted a group of more than 50 Active Member tour operators and Associate Members to Washington, D.C., June 3-4, 2025, to advocate for tourism industry issues impacting the industry, from passport and visa processing to adequate funding of Brand USA and the National Park Service , among other urgent topics. 'In the 13th year of the USTOA Congressional Caucus, our advocacy efforts felt more important than ever,' said USTOA President & CEO Terry Dale . 'The Congressional Caucus is a vitally critical forum to engage directly with lawmakers on topics that will ensure the continued success and resilience of our industry and lead us toward a more responsible tourism future.' The morning of June 4 was packed with informative presentations on the 'state of the industry' from a number of industry representatives, including Fred Dixon, president and CEO of Brand USA; Jennifer Aguinaga, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism and Director, National Travel and Tourism Office; and Emily Douce, Deputy Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. Guest speakers included Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the Presidential Task Force for 2026 FIFA World Cup, who spoke about initiatives to improve visa wait times and approval as the US is set to host this international event, and US Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY), who provided insights into the top issues facing Congress. A small team of USTOA members met at the office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19). In the afternoon, nine teams of USTOA members visited the Capitol for meetings with leading members of Congress to discuss the core issues. Promoting U.S. tourism abroad with continued funding of Brand USA, urging Congress to fund the administration's Air Traffic Control modernization plan, the impact of tariffs on international and outbound U.S. travel, supporting National Park Service funding and sufficient staffing, encouraging improvement in passport application processing delays, and urging expedited visa processing and backlog reduction are among the topics discussed. Additional conversation included the INVEST in our Communities Act which aims to boost much-needed tourism and economic development in light of the recent drop off in Canadian travel to the US; supporting the DOT-Aviation Consumer Protection; and supporting travel infrastructure including the backing expansion of TSA Pre-check and Global Entry as well as phased enforcement and flexibility for REAL ID until full compliance on May 7, 2027. Dale continued, 'USTOA remains committed to being an advocate for responsible tourism, and these meetings proved to be a highly effective platform to communicate that message to key lawmakers. We have learned that our collective voice does matter and can make a difference. The participation of our members and the members of Congress who took the time to engage in discussions on the issues that matter most to our industry is deeply appreciated.' The Caucus kicked off with an opening night reception and dinner at the Colombian Ambassador 's residence, hosted by Daniel Ávila Camacho, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Colombia to the United States. Special guest Charlie Sykes, regular contributor to MSNBC and former editor-in-chief of The Bulwark, addressed the group about the importance to stay engaged in politics, among other timely topics.
Travel Daily News
13-06-2025
- Travel Daily News
Smartwings introduce 5 new destinations as of October
Smartwings expands Prague operations this winter with five new routes and increased frequencies to Paris and Málaga starting October 2025. PRAGUE – Smartwings will significantly boost its Prague-based operations from this October. With the new winter flight schedule, Smartwings will expand its offering by adding 5 new destinations: Brussels, Barcelona, Porto, Bucharest, and Rome. At the same time, the number of flights to Paris and Málaga will increase. As of October 23, Smartwings will offer regular flights to Barcelona, Spain (4 times a week), Porto, Portugal (twice a week) and Rome, Italy (4 times a week). Three days later, on October 26, new services to Brussels (12 times a week) and Bucharest (7 times a week) will be launched. At the same time, Smartwings will increase the number of flights to Paris to 3 a day starting October 27, and to Málaga, Spain, offering 12 flights a week as of October 23. Smartwings' portfolio of year-round scheduled services from October 2025 will newly include: Brussels from 26/10/2025 12 times a week Barcelona from 23/10/2025 4 times a week Porto from 23/10/2025 twice a week Bucharest from 26/10/2025 7 times a week Rome from 23/10/2025 4 times a week Flight tickets are now available across all distribution channels. Clients can purchase tickets for Smartwings flights on the Smartwings website and at flight ticket vendors. The basic 'LITE' fare on all Smartwings flights includes full-size hand luggage with maximum dimensions of 55 x 40 x 23 centimeters and weight of up to 8 kg. 'We strive to add new interesting services for our clients and to expand our portfolio of destinations. We are pleased that these destinations will now be even better accessible from Prague thanks to Smartwings' direct flights,' says Michal Váňa, Commercial Director, Smartwings. Under the 2025-2026 winter schedule, the airline will offer direct flights from Czech airports to more than three dozen destinations. Smartwings will operate scheduled flights from Prague to Madrid, Paris, Dubai, the four Canary Islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, Porto in Portugal, Rome, Brussels, Málaga, Barcelona, Valencia, Bucharest, Tel Aviv, Antalya, Mallorca, Madeira (Funchal), the Azores (Ponta Delghada) and the Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Marsa Alam. Smartwings charter flights will depart from Prague to the Cape Verde Islands (Sal and Boa Vista), Bahrain, Qatar (Doha), Oman (Salalah), the United Arab Emirates(Ras Al Khaimah), Zanzibar and Kenya (Mombasa) in the winter season. Passengers on Smartwings flights can indulge in a delicious Gourmet Menu inspired by Czech cuisine. The menu includes a main course, salad, dessert, pastry and a soft drink. Orders can be made easily via the airline's website up to 48 hours before departure for all scheduled and charter flights. Some of the most popular dishes include tender beef cheeks, pork tenderloin with rosemary, and a plate of schnitzels. The varied menu naturally includes children's options. Passengers can also choose snacks and beverages on board from the on-board menu, which the airline have further expanded and innovated this year.
Travel Daily News
13-06-2025
- Travel Daily News
Marriott Bonvoy partners with WeatherPromise
Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy now offers WeatherPromise, giving travelers compensation for excessive rain during their vacation rental stay. Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy and WeatherPromise team up to offer travelers, including nearly 237 million Marriott Bonvoy members, the confidence of rain protection with their next vacation rental. Marriott International is the first global hotel company to team up with WeatherPromise, with the aim of providing guests with guaranteed weather protection against rain. When guests book a trip on Homes and Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, they are offered a chance to add a WeatherPromise, which pays travelers if there is excessive rainfall. This unique offering gives people the confidence to explore new destinations, even during times of the year when weather worries are greatest. 'As part of our ongoing commitment to elevating guest experiences and exploring innovative enhancements, we're excited to introduce a customized new offering to help protect your plans from unexpected rain when booking a stay with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy,' says Chris Stephenson, Vice President, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy. 'While rain can sometimes dampen your vacation plans, WeatherPromise is now here to ensure guests feel secure no matter what the forecast holds.' Once a stay is booked through Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy, guests will have the opportunity to purchase a personalized WeatherPromise that will provide a payout to the guest should the weather exceed the conditions of the guarantee during the guest's vacation. Each WeatherPromise offer balances price, triggers, and overall experience for your trip. Once a WeatherPromise is purchased, the system will automatically monitor the weather using data from satellite, weather radar, and weather stations. With WeatherPromise, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy guests can enjoy added confidence when planning a trip. 'We're proud to offer WeatherPromises to guests booking through Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy and helping to set a new standard for peace of mind in modern travel,' said Daniel Price, co-founder of WeatherPromise. 'By joining forces, Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy and WeatherPromise are providing added reassurance to customers booking through one of the world's most trusted vacation rental platforms. Our shared mission is to expand when and how guests travel and experience the world, so they can enjoy trips year-round knowing they're protected against inclement weather.'
