go global

Global airline launches serious sale from Houston to Maldives, Africa, Egypt, and more

Maldvies beach Huvafen Fushi resort couple

Visit the Maldives for as little as $849.

Photo courtesy of Huvafen Fushi/Visit Maldvies Facebook

With more Americans getting immunized against COVID, local, regional, national, and even international travel is on the rise. With that in mind, a luxe airline is launching a sale offering considerable savings on some favorite global destinations.

Emirates Airlines has kicked off a sale from Houston to worldly and exotic locales such as Cairo; Lahore, Pakistan; Nairobi, Kenya; and The Maldives.

The sale is on now and runs through 10:59 pm CST on Tuesday, October 26. Fares include economy and business class travel. Travel is valid from October 22 to March 31, 2022. More details can be found here.

Here is a sample of fares from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Select economy class fares:

Cairo, starting at $779
Lahore, Pakistan, starting at $779
Nairobi, Kenya, starting at $839
The Maldives, starting at $849

Select business class fares:

Cairo, starting at $2,739
Nairobi, Kenya, starting at $3,179
The Maldives, starting at $3,349
Lahore, Pakistan, starting at $4,419

This sale comes as the airline reports a 30-percent increase of search volume for travel this winter, with an average of 60 day lead time, showcasing an increase in consumer confidence as the demand for international travel continues to rise.

For those planning to hop to other cities: Emirates is offering the promotion to 11 of its 12 U.S. gateways, including Houston, Dallas, New York, Miami, Washington D.C., Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.

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Houston rises on new list of best summer travel destinations

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Not even triple-digit heat will deter tourists from visiting Space City this summer: The Houston metro has climbed into the No. 35 spot on WalletHub's list of the "Best Summer Travel Destinations" in 2025.

The report annually ranks 100 U.S metros based on attractions, safety, activities, weather, local costs, and travel costs and hassles. Factors that determine each city's ranking include flight costs, the number of affordable restaurants with high ratings, crime rates, and more.

The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area in Florida is the No. 1 most sought after summer travel destination this year.

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land moved up 10 spots from its 2024 rank, and it previously ranked 38th in 2023.

Here's how WalletHub broke down Houston's ranking in each of the six main categories:

No. 7 – Attractions rank
No. 16 – Local costs rank
No. 26 – Activities rank
No. 50 – Weather rank
No. 88 – Safety rank
No. 89 – Travel costs and hassles rank

Houston ranked the highest in the attractions and local costs categories, proving that the city's affordability is a major benefit for visitors as well as locals. There's surely no shortage of things to do in the city, from dining at a new steakhouse, to checking out a local bookstore, or enjoying a summer concert series at Meow Wolf.

But there's so much more that goes into choosing the right place for a memorable summer trip, says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. Creating and sticking to a vacation budget that considers all costs of a trip, such as meals and local transportation costs, is a good place to start.

"[C]hoosing a destination that’s not only entertaining but also affordable is important when travel, dining, and activity costs have surged so much in recent years," Lupo says. "It can also allow you to have a longer, more relaxing trip."

The study's scope isn't just limited to just Houston proper, which also means tourists may flock to suburbs like The Woodlands to explore its inviting new restaurants. It also includes Conroe, where tourists can relax with a drink in hand at the popular Margaritaville resort.

Other top Texas summer travel destinations
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 5) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington were the only two Texas metros to earn spots in the top 10 summer travel destinations.

Surprisingly, El Paso (No. 31) ranked four spots ahead of Houston. The final two Texas metros that earned spots in the study are Corpus Christi (No. 80) and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 97).

The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
No. 2 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
No. 3 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
No. 4 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
No. 5 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
No. 6 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
No. 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 8 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
No. 9 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

wallethub rankings summer vacation travel san antonio

go global

Global airline launches serious sale from Houston to Maldives, Africa, Egypt, and more

Houstonians will get the royal treatment at this lively new steakhouse

Houston's new Napa Valley-inspired restaurant sets opening date

Luxury bus service Vonlane adds new departure from The Woodlands

tourism news

Houston rises on new list of best summer travel destinations