Dubai: As tourists begin to spill into Dubai for the Eid holiday, many UAE residents are heading abroad, to Europe and the Far East.
Travellers have already booked their flights as early as three weeks ago, said Kulwant Singh, managing director of Lama Tours, a tour operator.
Some of the popular long-haul destinations this year include the UK, France, Austria, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Thailand, according to travel industry players.
Also, regionally, Oman is a popular destination.
Some regional destinations that were once popular with travellers from the UAE, such as Syria, Egypt and Lebanon, have seen a drop in demand, according to Ghassan Aridi, CEO of Alpha Tours, a tour operator.
He added that Turkey, in spite of its political situation, is gaining in demand by travellers. “Even if it has been affected by the protests, its still a hot destination,” he said.
However, Premjit Bangara, general manager of Sharaf Travel Services, said Turkey is less popular than it was in previous years.
“Turkey has been quiet this year, but I’m sure it will bounce back,” he said.
Airline tickets
Airline tickets are priced higher in August compared to previous summer months, industry experts said.
A ticket from Dubai to the Far East, which now costs between Dh2,800 to Dh3,300 was priced between Dh2,200 to Dh2,600 before June 15 — that’s 15 to 20 per cent lower, said Manu Mehrotra, general manager at Al Tayer Travel Agency.
In addition, if you book with Cleartrip.com from Dubai to London, a ticket will cost around Dh3,097 today, while in the period before June 15, the price stood at Dh2,947, according to Hijazi Natsheh, the booking site’s deputy general manager.
