There has been a significant rise in the cost of airfare, which has dampened the excitement among residents of the UAE who are planning to travel to popular tourist destinations during the Eid al-Fitr holidays.
The residents are getting ready for the longest public holiday of the year, which could last for nine days. According to reports, there has been a significant increase in the cost of tickets, with some countries seeing a nearly 400 percent increase during this time.
Reasons for the increase in air ticket prices
The founder and chief executive officer of Tahira Tours and Travels, Firoz Maliyakkal, explained that the increase in prices can be attributed to a number of different factors. "The price increase is because of the ease of travel to many countries, visa-on-arrival facilities, affordability, and the weather, making it a perfect short trip for UAE residents," according to the official.
"leaving only a limited number of airline and via service tickets available currently that are also filling fast," Firoz said, referring to the sudden sell-out of tickets that occurred as a result of the overwhelming demand for them.
Eid holiday for employees
The authorities in the United Arab Emirates have announced the Eid holidays for employees working in the private sector. If Ramadan lasts for thirty days, the break will begin on Monday, April 8 (Ramadan 29), and will continue until Friday, April 12 (Shawwal 3). When the Saturday and Sunday weekends that come before and after the break are taken into account, the total number of days off is nine. This means that the break will last from Saturday, April 6, until Sunday, April 14, inclusive.
Rooh Tourism and Travel's Operations Head, Libin Varghese, stated that the high demand is due to the longer break, which enables residents to plan their vacations in a more flexible manner. Due to the fact that schools are also closing for the holiday, this presents the ideal opportunity for families to go on vacation together.
"Additionally, the beautiful landscapes of the Caucasian countries with the favourable weather during this period further fueled the travel demand," Vargehese continued.
The travel expert continued by saying, "These countries have always been in high demand, and during the Eid holidays, packages are selling out quickly in these destinations." We have seen an increase in bookings, and as a result of the high demand, many of the packages that were offered to a few countries have already been sold out.
The magnitude of the increase was revealed through a comparison that was carried out across a number of different ticketing platforms. In comparison to the typical rate of nearly Dh300, the one-way airfare to Tbilisi in Georgia skyrocketed to Dh1,500 on Saturday, March 6. This represents a significant increase from the previous rate.
In a similar vein, during the Eid holiday, flights from Dubai to Yerevan in Armenia listed an average airfare of Dh1,100. Prices for flights to Serbia are on the rise, with prices soaring from the regular range of Dh400 to 500 to over Dh1,400 during the weekend. Baku, on the other hand, showed a slightly lower average airfare of Dh800 for a one-way ticket during the holiday period.
However, airfares to India and Pakistan sectors have remained relatively stable, with agents reporting a modest increase of forty to fifty percent during the Eid break. This is in contrast to the situation in other sectors.
Significant increase in demand for travel
According to Raheesh Babu, Chief Operating Officer, the company is observing a significant increase in travel demand from the Gulf region to India leading up to the Eid al-Fitr holiday season. This demand has increased by thirty to thirty-five percent in comparison to the demand during previous periods.Both the extended Eid al-Fitr holiday, which lasts for nine days, and the spring break that coincides with it are largely responsible for this increase in demand. This surge, which marks a 15-20 percent increase in bookings, is indeed remarkable because it surpasses the figures from the previous year as well as the pre-covid travel volumes.
It is important to note that India continues to be a prime destination for Gulf tourists during this time period. This is primarily due to the sizeable expatriate communities that are located in the region. However, in tandem with the increased demand, there has been a discernible increase in the cost of airfare, with increases ranging from forty percent to fifty percent on specific routes during the Eid al-Fitr season, as Raheesh Babu explained further.
