Egypt retains top spot as Wego tracks major shifts in Mideast travel

Travel demand across the Middle East stayed resilient in the first eight months of 2026 despite major airspace and flight disruptions, according to Wego. Using search and booking data from January 1 to August 31, compared with the same period in 2025, Wego said completed bookings fell even as travellers kept looking for trips. Egypt retained the No.1 most-searched destination for a 12th consecutive year, while Nepal, China, Vietnam, Sudan and Kenya posted some of the biggest gains. Pakistan’s longer-term climb moved it from 21st a decade ago to fourth. Wego attributed destination performance largely to access and connectivity, highlighting a gap between Gulf nationals and the wider Gulf market as flight bookings dropped to 63% after late-February airspace restrictions.