Written by JJ JJ
Updated on November 9, 2026 5 -minute read

Luxury Leads’ UAE Revenue Surpasses Full-Year 2025 in Just Eight Months as Gulf Travellers Show Resilience

The account further reinforces QComms’ credentials in hospitality PR, with the agency continuing to support hotels, resorts, restaurants and destination-led brands.

  • Luxury travel amongst GCC residents remains resilient despite unprecedented regional environments, with Luxury Leads anticipating 10% growth this year
  • UAE strengthens its position as the company’s largest regional source market, with Qatar and Bahrain the fastest growing
  • Findings reflect data from Luxury Leads travel partners, revealed at the fifth annual Mamnoun event held in September 2026

Luxury Leads, a bespoke luxury hospitality consulting, sales and marketing company representing a curated collection of iconic and distinctive international properties across the Middle East, has reported continued growth in outbound luxury travel from the UAE and wider Gulf in 2026. Despite a challenging operating environment across the Middle East, the first eight months of the year generated 77% of the company’s total revenue for the whole of 2025, with overall revenue 2.5% ahead of the equivalent period last year.

The UAE has emerged as a particularly strong source market. UAE-generated revenue surpassed its entire 2025 level in the same period: by the end of August, it was already 3.2% above the total recorded during the whole of 2025, while its share of Luxury Leads’ overall revenue increased from 35.7% in 2025 to 47.9% in 2026.

The findings were unveiled during the fifth edition of Mamnoun, Luxury Leads’ exclusive annual luxury travel leadership conference, held in Monte Carlo, Monaco in September. Meaning the highest form of gratitude, Mamnoun was established to celebrate and recognise the valued partnerships that drive the luxury travel industry forward. The three-day gathering brought together over 80 leading luxury hotels, resorts, and travel partners from around the world for a blend of business discussions, networking experience, and celebrations. This year’s edition centred on resilience and the importance of strong industry partnerships in navigating an ever-evolving travel landscape.

Rohit Gupta, Managing Founder of Luxury Leads, says: “What has stood out this year is the resilience of the Middle Eastern traveller. There have been periods when international travel has become more challenging, but the appetite to travel has remained. The UAE’s travel trade partners have had particularly strong results. To have surpassed our entire 2025 UAE performance by August demonstrates the continued importance of international travel to this market. What we are seeing is a highly experienced traveller who remains committed to travelling and is prepared to adapt when circumstances change.”

Luxury Leads’ data reveals that the market’s strength extends beyond the UAE. By the end of August, Qatar and Bahrain generated revenue that had exceeded its entire 2025, while Saudi Arabia also remains a key market with stable performance. Luxury Leads expects overall revenue to grow by approximately 10% for the full year, with combined GCC revenue projected to increase by 14.3% year-on-year.

European destinations continue to attract Middle Eastern travellers

Across its Middle Eastern travel network, comprising of over 300 partners, Luxury Leads continues to see high demand for established European leisure destinations, including Monaco, the French Riviera, Sardinia, and Lake Como, alongside Milan, Paris, Geneva, and Zurich. Bodrum in Türkiye also continues to attract luxury travellers from the region.

Luxury Leads has also noted a shift towards coastal properties compared with stronger city-centre demand previously, alongside a broader trend towards shorter stays and travellers moving between destinations rather than remaining in one location for the duration of a trip.

The company’s collection includes independently and family-owned hotels and resorts across some of world’s best-known luxury destinations. Among them are The Ned Doha in Qatar, Lodge Park Megève and Fouquet’s Courchevel in France, Beau-Rivage Geneva, Beau-Rivage Palace in Switzerland, and Portrait Firenze in Italy. Several properties within the collection have also been recognized among the World’s 50 Best Hotels including Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco, Passalacqua on Lake Como, Portrait Milano in Milan, Hotel Sacher Vienna in Austria, and Badrutt’s Palace in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Majed Al Qasem, Managing Partner of Luxury Leads, adds: “One of the more interesting changes we are seeing is in how Middle Eastern travellers are using their time away. There is still a strong attachment to established European destinations, but increasingly the journey itself is becoming more varied, with shorter stays and multiple destinations rather than spending an entire trip in one place. For hotels, this creates an opportunity to think differently about this market. It is not enough simply to offer a luxury product. Understanding how Gulf travellers move between destinations, the importance of family and quality time, and the level of service they expect throughout their journey will become increasingly important in attracting and retaining this market.”

Positive outlook for winter travel and 2027

Luxury Leads expects the final quarter of 2026 to remain strong, spanning the autumn, festive, and winter travel periods and continuing into early 2027.

The company anticipates continued interest in ski and winter getaways, including St. Moritz, home to Badrutt’s Palace within the Luxury Leads collection, alongside growing demand for wellness and restorative travel. Its portfolio also includes Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland and Palazzo Fiuggi in Italy.

Family and intergenerational travel is expected to remain an important segment, together with couples and groups of friends travelling during the festive and winter holiday periods.

Luxury Leads has also expanded its regional footprint during 2026, with revenue now generated across nine markets, including Lebanon and Egypt, which were added as new markets during the year.

Looking ahead to 2027, the company expects demand to remain strong, with summer escapes, leisure getaways and wellness experiences continuing to be key areas of interest.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Yosr Hassan
E: natasha.t@qcomms.ae
M:+971 56 937 3451

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About QComms:

QComms is an award-winning PR and digital agency founded in 2010 by Elsa Roodt and Katie Harvey. Named among the top 10 agencies in the GCC, QComms has a 40-strong team across offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Manchester, with in-market support in Riyadh, Egypt and Jordan. The agency provides PR, creative content, and social media services to a diverse portfolio of lifestyle and corporate clients across multiple sectors, developing innovative, data-driven strategies that help brands launch, grow, and achieve their communication goals.

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