Nearly Half of Travel eSIM Orders Land in Four Winter Months, New Data Shows

AloOui Research | Winter travel

Nearly Half of Travel eSIM Orders Land in Four Winter Months, New Data Shows

Nearly half of a year of travel eSIM orders are placed in the four winter months, November to February. The UAE and Saudi Arabia lead the winter list, and seven in ten of their orders are placed in the cold season, against 47% across all destinations.

47%of orders placed November to February
11%of winter orders are for the UAE, the top winter destination
69%of UAE and Saudi Arabia orders land in winter
Illustration of a golden winter mountain landscape
Illustration.

The data

Winter: where travelers went November to February

Share of each destination's orders placed November to February
UAE
69%
Saudi Arabia
69%
Cape Verde
58%
All destinations
47%
Turkey
42%
Cyprus
20%
Cyprus is the contrast: a summer destination with only 20% of orders in winter.
Top winter destinations: share of all winter orders
UAE
11%
Saudi Arabia
7%
Germany
4%
Cape Verde
4%
Costa Rica
3%
Turkey
3%
Jordan
3%
Tunisia
3%
Excludes plans bought for use in the customer's home country.
Share of a year's orders by month (all destinations)
15%
Jan
7%
Feb
5%
Mar
2%
Apr
2%
May
4%
Jun
13%
Jul
11%
Aug
4%
Sep
12%
Oct
10%
Nov
15%
Dec
Winter months highlighted.

Figures come from AloOui orders across a full year-round period. Percentages and ranks only. Billing country is a proxy for where a customer lives, not nationality.

Founder quote

“Almost half of our orders land between November and February. Winter travelers are not going to the same places as the rest of the year, and they are not buying the same plans.”

Mickael K, Founder, AloOui

What stands out

Three things to know

Finding

UAE and Saudi Arabia lead the winter list

The cold season is their season: 69% of orders for each are placed from November to February, against 47% across all destinations.

Finding

Cape Verde is a winter-sun story

58% of Cape Verde orders are placed in the four winter months. Cyprus is the contrast, with only 20% of its orders in winter.

Finding

Winter travelers pick Lite

Unlimited is 26% of winter orders, against 34% the rest of the year. Among winter unlimited orders, about three in four are the Lite tier.

Product guide

Which AloOui plan type fits a winter trip?

Plan type How it works Best for
Fixed data One total allowance for the whole plan Lighter use between Wi-Fi connections
Unlimited Lite Daily high-speed allowance that resets each day, then reduced speed Maps, messaging and bookings
Unlimited Essential A larger reduced-speed tier after the daily allowance Balanced multi-day trips
Unlimited Plus A bigger daily high-speed allowance Heavier daily use
Unlimited Premium (new) A high-speed pool of 30, 60 or 90GB for the whole plan (5, 10 or 15 days), no daily reset Streaming, video calls and remote work
True Unlimited (new, UK first) A 30-day plan with a UK number, 500 minutes and 500 SMS Longer UK stays and business trips

Unlimited Premium is available on selected destinations, not every one. Check the destination page before choosing. Unlimited does not mean unrestricted full-speed data.

About this data

How we got these numbers

The figures come from AloOui's own orders, grouped by destination and plan type, across a full year-round period. Everything is shown as percentages or ranks. Billing country is a proxy for where a customer lives, not nationality. Comparisons between destinations use only destinations with enough orders for a stable comparison, and average basket ranks reflect each destination's plan mix and plan prices.

Free to use with credit to AloOui and a link to this page.

For journalists and editors

Get the winter data pack

The data pack has the charts, the lead finding and ten headline options. It is free to use with credit. Need other angles or a cut for your market? Email us for the full options.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

When do most travelers buy a travel eSIM?
In AloOui orders, December and January are the busiest months at 15% of a year's orders each, followed by July (13%) and August (11%). April and May are the quietest, at 2% each.
Which destinations are the most seasonal?
The UAE and Saudi Arabia: 69% of their orders are placed from November to February, against 47% for all destinations. Cape Verde is at 58%. Cyprus is the opposite, at 20%.
Do travelers choose unlimited plans more in winter?
No. Unlimited is 26% of winter orders against 34% for the rest of the year. Among winter unlimited orders, about 76% are Unlimited Lite, 14% Plus and 10% Essential.
What unlimited eSIM plans does AloOui offer?
AloOui offers fixed-data plans and several types of unlimited plan. Unlimited Lite, Essential and Plus give a daily high-speed allowance that resets each day and then continue at reduced speed, so they are not unrestricted full-speed data. Unlimited Premium, the newest type, gives a 30GB, 60GB or 90GB high-speed pool for the whole plan (5, 10 or 15 days) on selected destinations. True Unlimited, live first in the UK, is a 30-day plan with a UK number, 500 minutes and 500 SMS. Check the product page for the terms of the plan you choose.
How was this calculated?
The figures come from AloOui's own orders across a full year-round period. We show percentages and ranks, not raw order counts. Billing country is a proxy for where a customer lives, not nationality.
How to cite this page. AloOui research team (2026). Nearly Half of Travel eSIM Orders Land in Four Winter Months, New Data Shows. AloOui. https://www.alooui.com/pages/research-winter-esim-demand. Figures and charts may be used with credit and a link to this page. Questions or a custom data cut: press@travel.alooui.com.

More from AloOui Research

AloOui research team | Published October 2026 | Data: AloOui orders, year-round. AloOui is a travel eSIM brand operated by Unitrade LLC.