From digital transformation and multi-day experiences to secondary cities and super apps, the future of in-destination travel is being reshaped in the Middle East and beyond.
What do Gen Z travellers want from experiences? A pasta-making class in Florence, not just a trip to Italy. A skydive over Palm Jumeirah, not just a photo of it. And increasingly, they want it now – seamless, personalized, and with a narrative they can remember (and post).
In this wide-ranging conversation with three players shaping the tours and activities space—Martina Pavan of GetYourGuide, Ola Andersen of BeMyGuest, and Samir Mehta of Desert Adventures, we tackled everything from tech investments and funding realities to experience trends and why a DMC still matters.
“The Middle East isn’t a stopover anymore”
That insight from Martina Pavan captured a shift in how travellers are approaching the region. “We’re seeing demand for multi-day trips and secondary destinations – beyond Dubai, Riyadh and Cairo,” she said, citing growth in places like Sharjah, Nizwa, Salalah and AlUla. One of GetYourGuide’s top products? A two-day bike tour from Luxor to Cairo.
Samir Mehta, whose company recently launched operations in Saudi Arabia, agreed. “This is a long-term play. Visitors are coming for authentic, immersive journeys, 10 to 18 days across the country. It’s North Korea to ‘open’ overnight,” he said wryly.
“The DMC isn’t dead – it’s just due for a tech reboot.”
Panelists agreed: despite the push for digital, the in-destination experience still needs a human touch, especially in emerging destinations. “We’re not competing with OTAs, we’re complementing them,” said Mehta. “For new destinations, travellers want trusted partners who can manage everything, from guides and logistics to health and safety.”
Rebecca Hall of Kanoo Ventures, in an earlier panel, had named DMCs as needing a tech makeover, and Mehta embraced it. Desert Adventures is automating backend processes like dynamic contract loading and exploring “super-AI” that can handle preferences from gluten intolerance to insurance.
What percent of tours and activities will be booked online in 10 years?
- Martina: 60% – “We’ll double from today’s 30%.”
- Ola: 40% – “We’re still far behind flights and hotels.”
- Samir: 45% – “It depends on the product – some will hit 80%, others stay offline.”
Despite the optimism, all three acknowledged the friction: legacy behaviours, fragmented systems, and tech adoption gaps.
From left: Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT (Moderator). Martina Pavan Regional Manager Middle East, GetYourGuide. Ola Strand Andersen, Chief Financial Officer, BeMyGuest. Samir Mehta, Chief Operating Officer, Desert Adventures Tourism.
What trends will define the next wave?
- Multi-day trips: “Immersive is the new quick fix,” said Martina.
- Events: Ola spotlighted demand for sports travel and concerts. “We haven’t even scratched the surface.”
- Themed travel: Discovery platforms are targeting niche interests, not cities. Think: “just walking tours” or “skydiving only.”
The audience may have laughed at AI’s trend suggestion of “selfies and cruises” but when it came to “experiences over material goods,” the crowd turned purple with enthusiasm.
The future of tech in experiences?
- Discovery is key: “AI can suggest, but only marketplaces can match real-time price and availability,” said Martina.
- ROI takes time: Ola emphasized that building tech is expensive, slow, and only now showing returns.
- AI as enabler: Samir’s team already uses it to handle rate volatility. His dream? “Super-personalized packaging based on likes, dislikes, even allergies.”
And in a rapid-fire finale:
- Historical sites or theme parks? Historical.
- Food tours or cocktail classes? Food (especially if you’re Italian).
- White Lotus Season 4 in the Middle East? Saudi Arabia… but make it multi-destination.
The tours and activities sector is growing up – and out. It’s going deeper (multi-day), broader (secondary cities), and more personal (themed, curated, tech-enhanced). But it’s also staying human, because as Samir reminded us, “this is still a labour-intensive industry and that’s not going to change.”
