Travellers are increasingly prioritising wellbeing, preventative healthcare and meaningful experiences over traditional holidays amid recent global uncertainty. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has introduced ‘Healing is the New Luxury,’ a new campaign designed to strengthen the country’s position as one of the world’s leading wellness destinations for GCC travellers.

The campaign reflects a growing shift in travel behaviour, with visitors increasingly seeking longer, experience-led holidays centred around health, relaxation and personal wellbeing. Combining luxury hospitality, medical excellence, wellness traditions, gastronomy, nature and culture, Thailand is responding to rising demand for travel that delivers both restorative and enriching experiences.

The GCC continues to be one of Thailand’s highest-value tourism markets, with more than 600,000 visitors expected from the region by the end of 2026, including over 150,000 travellers from the UAE. Travellers from the region are among the country’s longest-staying and highest-spending international visitors, reinforcing the Middle East’s strategic importance to Thailand’s tourism growth.

To support this demand, Thailand is strengthening air connectivity with the UAE through airline partners including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia. More than 15 direct flights each day now connect Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah to destinations across Thailand, as airlines continue to expand capacity in response to growing demand.

Through ‘Healing is the New Luxury’, TAT is highlighting Thailand’s comprehensive wellness ecosystem, bringing together internationally accredited hospitals, luxury wellness resorts, traditional Thai therapies, preventive healthcare, holistic wellness programmes, gastronomy, nature, and authentic cultural experiences under a single destination offering. Thailand has more than 400 internationally equipped hospitals and clinics serving overseas visitors. In 2025, the country’s health tourism sector generated approximately 125 billion Baht, reflecting the growing global demand for integrated healthcare and wellness travel.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, said, “As we enter the high season for Middle East travellers, Thailand is ready to welcome visitors from across the region with confidence. This readiness is supported by strong air connectivity and convenient access. Most recently, flydubai launched its daily direct Dubai–Don Mueang service, adding another important gateway between the UAE and Bangkok, with plans to further increase frequency to double daily from 18 July 2026 onwards. To advance our strategic goals, TAT has launched ‘Healing is the New Luxury,’ reflecting a growing demand for travel experiences with deeper meaning. For Thailand, luxury means priceless moments that heal the heart, uplift the mind, and restore balance. It is found in warm Thai hospitality, Thai cuisine, tranquil beaches, spiritual journeys, wellness, and meaningful local experiences. Thailand is a year-round holiday destination and is ready for the Middle East high season. It is safe, accessible, and welcoming for all travellers.”

GCC travellers typically stay in Thailand between 10 days and three weeks, significantly longer than many other international visitors. UAE travellers frequently visit the country, spending an average of more than 100,000 Baht per trip. Demand is increasingly shifting from traditional leisure holidays towards wellness retreats, preventive healthcare, luxury hospitality, and personalised experiences.

Medical travellers from the GCC are among Thailand’s highest-value visitor segments, spending an average of 107,662 Baht per trip. While Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Chiang Mai remain the country’s most popular destinations, TAT is also promoting emerging destinations including Khao Yai, Kanchanaburi, Chanthaburi and Trat to encourage multi-destination itineraries, longer stays and year-round travel beyond the traditional peak season.

As wellness tourism continues to reshape global travel, ‘Healing is the New Luxury’ reflects Thailand’s ambition to strengthen its position in the global wellness economy while deepening engagement with GCC travellers seeking personalised experiences that combine health, luxury, culture and hospitality.

Summer in Dubai has a way of testing every family’s plans, the heat sets in, school lets out, and finding somewhere the kids can burn energy while the adults actually get to relax becomes the day’s real challenge. Riva Beach Club is answering that with a season built around exactly this kind of family time, a place where mornings stretch into afternoons by the water and evenings wind down just as easily, giving every member of the family a reason to stay a little longer.

Weekdays are where the value really shows itself. Adults make their way in from AED 99, with AED 89 of that landing straight back as food and beverage credit, while children join on the same terms, their AED 99 entry fully redeemable on snacks and drinks throughout the day. It is the kind of offer that turns a random Tuesday into an outing worth taking, especially once happy hour rolls around from 3pm, giving parents their own reason to stay a little longer once the kids have had their fill of the water.

Weekends lean further into the family of it all. The Weekend Treat brings the same fully redeemable child entry alongside a slightly more generous adult package, AED 150 with AED 125 in credit, built for the families who want two full days poolside rather than squeezing everything into one. It is the sort of offer that removes the usual back and forth over which day to go, since both are covered without the cost doubling up, leaving more room in the budget for the extras that actually make a day out memorable.

As the afternoon heat eases and the sun starts to dip, After Dark by the Pool picks up where the day left off. Children aged eight and under are let in free, meaning families do not need to cut the visit short once dinner time approaches, while the essentials, sun loungers, fresh towels, a proper two hour beverage package, are all built into the AED 199 adult entry for the grown ups looking to stretch the evening out rather than pack up and head home. For residents, an additional 20 percent off food and wine sweetens what is already one of the more relaxed ways to close out a family day in Dubai’s summer heat.

The rest of the week fills in just as easily around these family staples. Fridays and Saturdays bring Sip & Splash, with two hours of unlimited house beverages alongside pool access, while the Sunday Social eases things into the week ahead with unlimited mimosas. Mondays offer Steak & Wine at AED 129, Wednesdays belong to Ladies’ Day with pool access, an appetizier and 40 percent off at Dreamworks Spa, and Fridays keep things casual with tacos from AED 49, with the Weekend Warm-Up carrying a 40 percent food discount through Thursday and into Friday evening.

Taken together, it is more of a reason to make Riva part of the family’s summer routine, one where the deals hold up whether it is a quick Wednesday visit, a full weekend by the water, or an evening that runs on long after the sun has gone down.

Radisson Hotel Group continued to accelerate its growth strategy in the first half of 2026, signing and opening 160 hotels, representing more than 22,000 keys. This sustained momentum reflects continued owner confidence in the Group’s brands and ability to generate compelling results, alongside continued demand for high-quality branded hospitality across global markets.

During the first half of the year, the Group strengthened its presence across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific through a combination of signings, openings, market entries, and brand extensions. Activity continues to be driven by a diversified portfolio spanning luxury, lifestyle, upscale, resort, conversion, and mixed-use opportunities.

Diversified Growth Across EMEA

Across Europe, Radisson Hotel Group recorded several notable milestones, including the signing of Radisson Collection Hotel, Frankfurt and Radisson RED Vienna Danube Riverside, alongside new openings across Austria, Germany, and Poland. The Group broadened its resort footprint with new openings in Tenerife and Phuket, while Radisson Individuals expanded in Greece and Spain. Lifestyle and luxury brands also extended their reach, with Radisson RED debuting in New Zealand, the Philippines, and Türkiye, while Radisson Collection strengthened its presence in key gateway destinations, such as Lake Como. The Group is expanding its Verified Net Zero program, with the coming months seeing an additional 10 hotels joining the initiative across Norway, Denmark, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the first VNZ hotel in South Africa, while Les Loges, the gastronomic restaurant at Cour des Loges Lyon, A Radisson Collection Hotel, was awarded its first Michelin star just 10 months after reopening.

Across the Middle East and Africa, notable openings, including Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Barsha Heights, Radisson Collection Residences, Riyadh, and Radisson Blu Hotel, Almaty Airport, reinforced the Group’s presence in strategic markets.Africa surpassed a significant milestone during the period, with more than 100 hotels now in operation and under development across the continent.

In EMEA and SEAP, Radisson has been the most-signed hotel brand within its segment since 2019, demonstrating the continued relevance of the brand, and the group, to owners and guests.

“We create value for our guests and owners through our brands and people. We believe in the long-term nature of our business and are committed to deliver above market returns to all our stakeholders,” says Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer at Radisson Hotel Group.

New Market Entries and Brand Expansion Strengthen Asia Pacific

Asia Pacific remains one of Radisson Hotel Group’s most important regions, supported by favourable demographics, increasing travel demand, and rising investor confidence in branded hospitality.

China continues to play an important role in the Group’s long-term development strategy, with more than 260 hotels in operation across Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Park Inn by Radisson, and Radisson RED, and a substantial development pipeline across its midscale and lifestyle portfolio. Activity remains robust across major urban centers, including Wuhan, Beijing, and Chongqing, as well as emerging Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4 cities, supported by the world’s largest domestic travel market and continued demand for branded hospitality.

Across Southeast Asia Pacific, LIME Resort Bohol, a member of Radisson Individuals Premier, marked the debut of the brand in in the region, In Australasia, Radisson RED Auckland became both the Group’s first hotel in New Zealand and the first Radisson RED in the region.

India Remains a Growth Market

“India is one of the most promising hotel development markets in the world today,” says Younes. “Demand continues to outpace supply, infrastructure is improving rapidly, and owner confidence remains high. Combined with our legacy in the country, the awareness of our brands and our exceptional colleagues on the ground, these fundamentals create significant opportunities for long-term, meaningful growth.”

During the first half of 2026, the Group signed and opened 22 hotels in India, bringing its development pipeline in the country to nearly 100 hotels. Radisson Hotel Group currently operates 142 hotels with more than 15,500 keys across 86 cities in India, reinforcing its position as one of the country’s leading international hotel operators. The Group recently unveiled its India Vision 2030 plan, which aims to grow its portfolio to 500 hotels over the next five years.