Yango Ads' 2025 Travel Report reveals more than 48% of tourists are influenced by targeted ads

Khaleej Times

18-04-2025

Yango Ads, the Ad Tech division of Yango Group, a global tech company that transforms advanced technologies into practical services for people in their daily lives, has published its latest report, the 2025 Tourism Industry Guide, revealing a major shift in travel behaviour from emerging markets. Travellers from these regions are increasingly setting their sights on the UAE, which has rapidly emerged as one of the top choices as a vacation destination in the Middle East.
The survey included 768 respondents, whose responses highlighted that with rising disposable incomes and a growing interest in cultural and premium experiences, these travellers are no longer just chasing budget getaways. Yango Ads' insights highlight a valuable opportunity for businesses in the Middle East to tap into a fast-growing and lucrative audience by tailoring their marketing strategies.
Over the past few years, the UAE has seen a remarkable rise in popularity among tourists from emerging markets, with over 20% of travellers from these markets choosing it as a destination in 2024 —solidifying its position as one of the region's top travel choices. The data reveals that 60% of tourists from these regions plan their trips two to three months in advance, and a majority (61.8%) prefer medium-length vacations of eight to fourteen days—giving marketers a clear window to engage them. While once associated with economy travel, nearly half of respondents are now spending up to $2,000 on vacations, and 40% even exceed that threshold, investing in premium accommodations and unique experiences.
Comfort is increasingly important to this audience. A significant 67.5% choose four to five-star hotels, while only 28.7% opt for lower-tier properties. Family-centric travel is especially dominant, with 51.9% vacationing with their families, with 36.2% of travellers between 35-44 years of age, highlighting strong demand for bundled offers that include child-friendly entertainment and group transportation.
When selecting a destination, tourists prioritise a pleasant climate, which was cited by 58.6% of respondents, followed by affordable travel costs at 44%. Flight convenience, rich cultural attractions, and accessible visa regulations also shape their decisions and are also major decision-making factors. With its warm weather, world-class infrastructure, central location and tourist-friendly policies, the UAE is uniquely positioned to capture attention—if the message is well-timed and targeted.
The report showed that tourists are highly responsive to digital channels. According to the report, almost half (48.3%) were influenced by targeted ad campaigns, while 41.7% turned to search engines, 21% responded to Telegram Ads, and almost 20% relied on social media recommendations. With this level of digital responsiveness, there is a clear opportunity for tourism stakeholders to shift investment toward data-driven, high-impact advertising strategies.
Evgenii Pavlov, general manager at Yango Ads MEA said: "There's a tremendous opportunity for businesses in the UAE's tourism sector to unlock new revenue streams. With data-backed insights like these, travel operators, hotels, and resorts can run smarter, better-timed campaigns to attract the right tourists, at the right time, with the right message. Yango Ads enables advertisers to automate campaign timing, messaging, and targeting across platforms such as Telegram and search engines. The platform helps businesses not only identify when and where to reach travelers but also how to shape offers, from bundled family packages and premium stays to early-bird promotions and loyalty programmes. The future of tourism in the UAE is just a campaign away."
Tour operators and hoteliers can use platforms such as Yango Ads to access intelligent campaign tools that predict the best advertising periods based on travel patterns, suggest the most effective media channels per market, and help design appealing offers around high-interest themes like culture, local gastronomy, and seasonal escapes. With summer identified as the most popular travel season at 50.4% and spring and autumn close behind at 41.8%, planning campaigns two to three months ahead is vital for visibility and impact.