XO records 145% increase in digital enquiries for multi-city itineraries across the US, Canada and Mexico
Average planned trip durations up 13% as travellers extend stays beyond the competition
Saudi Arabia leading regional demand as travellers combine sport, business and leisure
Dubai : The world’s biggest football tournament is reshaping how affluent Gulf travellers are planning their summer, with XO reporting a 145% increase in digital enquiries for multi-city itineraries spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico compared with the same period last year.
The private aviation marketplace — part of UAE-based Vista, the world’s leading global private aviation group — is also seeing GCC enquiries for North America travel across the seven-week period surrounding the tournament rise by 5% year-on-year. Combined with a 13% increase in average planned trip durations, the data suggests many travellers are using the competition as the starting point for extended summer itineraries that blend football with business, leisure and family travel.
Saudi Arabia is currently leading regional demand, with XO seeing particularly strong interest linked to the national team’s opening fixture in Miami. Many travellers are using the tournament as the catalyst for longer North American itineraries spanning multiple cities and countries.
Commenting on the findings, Youssef Mouallem, Chief Business Officer – Vista, said: “The most striking trend we’re seeing isn’t simply higher demand for North America — it’s that travellers are staying longer and building more ambitious itineraries around the tournament.”
“For travellers from Saudi Arabia in particular, the tournament is becoming the centrepiece of a much larger North American itinerary. Rather than flying in for a single match, many are combining football with business engagements, family holidays and travel across multiple destinations.”
Multi-city travel takes centre stage
Rather than travelling for a single fixture, many Gulf-based travellers are using this summer’s football calendar as the foundation for broader North American itineraries, combining match attendance with business meetings, family holidays and experiences across multiple destinations.
XO’s data shows the tournament’s three-country format is driving demand for itineraries spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico, rather than traditional point-to-point journeys.
The rise in average trip duration further reinforces this trend, suggesting many travellers are extending their time in North America well beyond the tournament itself as part of extended summer journeys.
Flexibility driving booking behaviour
The latest enquiry patterns reflect a broader shift in how globally mobile individuals organise travel, increasingly prioritising flexibility as schedules and priorities change
As a technology-enabled marketplace, XO combines real-time operator availability, dynamic pricing intelligence and demand visibility with access to a wide range of aircraft options, enabling members and clients to build and adapt complex, multi-destination journeys around major events, business commitments and personal travel.
Expanding on the trend, Mouallem added: “The 145% increase in multi-city itinerary enquiries reflects a growing preference for flexibility, with travellers combining football, business and leisure across multiple destinations.”
“Increasingly, technology-enabled booking platforms are giving clients the ability to adapt those plans as schedules evolve, making flexible private travel more accessible than ever.”
For XO, the increase in multi-city enquiries reinforces the growing importance of flexible booking solutions as travellers refine their itineraries throughout the tournament.
A broader evolution in luxury travel
These trends reflect a wider shift in how affluent travellers approach international mobility, increasingly combining sport, business and extended leisure across multiple destinations.
This builds on patterns seen during the 2022 tournament in Qatar, when XO recorded a 146% increase in flights into the country, with demand accelerating as multi-city travel intensified during the event.
XO’s proprietary data provides early visibility into shifting travel patterns as global events drive demand across key markets. As the tournament progresses, traveller behaviour is expected to continue evolving, offering further insight into how major sporting events reshape international mobility.
