Wellness, nature and food drive 2025 travel trends in EEMEA, according to Mastercard Economics Institute

Dubai, UAE; 13 May 2025: The Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI) today released Travel Trends 2025, its annual report with unique and proprietary consumer spending insights globally. While exchange rates and geopolitical dynamics can influence consumer behavior, the report highlights that passions and purpose-driven motivations remain strong drivers shaping the travel industry.

Whether drawn by Namibia’s wellness retreats, Istanbul’s dynamic culinary scene, or Saudi Arabia’s emerging leisure hubs, travelers are expanding their horizons beyond traditional hotspots. The globalization of sports has also turned big events into global spending hubs, drawing fans across continents.

“Tourism remains an important driver for growth and diversification in the EEMEA region, and it’s great to see that the natural beauty, culinary variety and special experiences across Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe, are held in such high regard by travelers. And while economic and geopolitical drivers do impact the decision of where to go, the desire for meaningful experiences still drives a big part of our travel decisions. The tourism landscape in the EEMEA region is evolving, with emerging destinations attracting investment and powering spending. The Mastercard Economic Institute’s report offers interesting insights on how countries are capturing the attention of eager travelers looking for something more than just a change of scene,” said Khatija Haque, chief economist EEMEA, Mastercard Economics Institute.

Drawing on a unique analysis of aggregated and anonymized transaction data and third-party data sources, the report uncovers what is shaping travel choices today. Key findings for EEMEA region include:

Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (EEMEA) trends:

Other global trends:

Sports fandom fuels travel. MEI examined spending within five miles of the venue for the Champions League Final in London. Real Madrid’s victory over Borussia Dortmund led to a 61% YOY increase in German spending, outpacing the overall increase of 14%, whereas Spanish spending spiked by 148% YOY, suggesting fans celebrated by splurging.

Mastercard is dedicated to helping the global tourism sector grow through market analysis and high-frequency, data-driven insights that enhance the travel experience. By empowering destinations and businesses to better understand evolving consumer trends, Mastercard is helping to shape a more connected and resilient future for travel across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

You can view the full “Travel Trends 2025: Purpose-driven journeys” and other reports and insights from MEI, here.

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About the Mastercard Economics Institute

The Mastercard Economics Institute provides insights into global and local economic trends using advanced analytics and Mastercard’s proprietary data assets. Established in 2020, MEI supports businesses, governments, and policymakers with economic monitoring services and timely analysis on economic themes including consumer spending, retail and travel trends, and other local and global barometers of economic performance. MEI offers valuable perspectives to inform decision-making and promote sustainable growth worldwide through our thought leadership series, and through Mastercard’s specialized product offerings.

Mastercard communications contact: Halima.Islam@mastercard.com

[1]   OAG flight booking data made Jan-Mar 2025 for travel Jun-Sep 2025 relative to previous levels

[2] The analysis created a boundary box using minimum and maximum longitude and latitude of each major national park, measured spending within boundary box.

[3] WTI is calculated using the share of cross-border accommodation spending at wellness-related merchants, multiplied by each country’s share of global wellness-related accommodation transaction