A new Mastercard survey showed that intra-regional travel has become more popular in the Middle East than destination further away due to the global economic downturn.  Survey respondents were asked about their likely travel destinations in the next six months, and chose six intra-regional destinations out of a total of ten top destinations.  Egypt and the UAE were the most popular choices for UAE respondents at 27 percent and 19 percent respectively, while Egypt and India  were both favored by 21 percent, Lebanon (20 percent) and Turkey (19 percent). 

MasterCard area business head for the Gulf countries said intra-regional destinations have become more popular because consumers want to take advantage of less expensive travel options following the economic recession. Raghu Malhotra said “With connectivity among key tourist destinations within the Middle East becoming stronger, as well as the frequent airline promotions, consumers have become inclined to explore destinations closer to home.”