Dubai, UAE -- Residents in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region preferred to celebrate Eid Al Fitr closer to home this year, confirms data released by trivago, the world's largest hotel search that compares rates from more than 1 million hotels on more than 250 booking sites.

Sharm El Sheikh ranked first in the list of the top 10 travel destinations MENA residents visited during Eid Al Fitr 2016 – followed consecutively by Dubai, Makkah, Hurghada, Cairo, Medina, Istanbul, Doha, Beirut and Bahrain.

"Visitors around the world are increasingly looking in their own backyards for attractive travel destinations and the MENA region is no exception. From world-class entertainment and leisure experiences to gastronomic exploration and cultural discovery – the region offers ample inspiration for unique and memorable travels. And, with Eid Al Fitr being a short, mid-year family holiday, it is easy to understand why residents will choose to relax and reset with a quick getaway in a destination that's only a few flight hours away," said Mayada Samy, Country Manager – Middle East and North Africa, trivago.

"According to our data, Egypt, along with the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Lebanon, Bahrain and Kuwait ranked among the top 10 countries searched by MENA residents for hotels during Ramadan 2016, which further supports the intra-regional travel trend. Other countries in this list include Turkey, France and the UK," continued Samy.

As MENA residents sought the best staycation deals within the region, trivago took its comprehensive searching and price comparison capability, to a whole new level, with the launch of the Arabic iOS mobile application in June 2016.

"As more and more Arabs across all age groups turn to tech-savvy lifestyles, trivago's Arabic iOS mobile app offers users the convenience of searching hotel deals in their native language, while giving them access to all the features of our global app that has already surpassed more than 9 million downloads to date. As we look ahead to enhance our efforts in the region, we remain dedicated to empowering our userswith complete transparency of the online hotel market, so they can continue to choose from deals that best suit their budgets and travel requirements," added Samy.

About trivago

trivago is a leading global hotel search platform focused on reshaping the way travelers search for and compare hotels and alternative accommodations. Incorporated in 2005 in Düsseldorf, Germany, the platform allows travelers to make informed decisions by personalizing their hotel search and providing them access to a deep supply of hotel information and prices. trivago enables its advertisers to grow their businesses by providing access to a broad audience of travelers via its websites and apps. As of September 30, 2021, trivago has established 54 localized platforms connected to over 5.0 million hotels and alternative accommodations, in over 190 countries.

Aladin Aburamadan
Media Relations Executive - TRACCS UAE
trivago