The advent of summer is the cue for many people to make good their travel plans. And while times may be tough, the good news is you can still take off and see the world without breaking the bank. Industry sources from Dubai to Spain are unanimous in their view that travel has definitely become cheaper.
Tour operators and travel agents who were in Dubai for the recently held Arabian Travel Market exhibition confirmed that hotels, airlines and other tourism businesses around the world are now offering fantastic deals to beckon potential visitors. Besides, due to the lower values of currencies in major destinations and cheaper energy prices, the economic downturn means affordable holiday spending.
Airfares for many outbound flights from the UAE alone have dropped between 10 per cent and 40 per cent, while hotel rates in popular holiday spots have fallen between 20 and 25 per cent, on average.
One of the UAE's homegrown airlines, Etihad Airways, has launched an online sales promotion, offering UAE travellers weekly last-minute "e-Deals" that include short-breaks around the region as well as holidays further afield to destinations such as Johannesburg, Melbourne and New York.
Last week, Etihad's e-Deals included return economy fares from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain, Damascus, Beirut and Cairo from Dh40; to New Delhi from Dh100; and to Heathrow, Manchester, Munich and Casablanca from Dh200. These fares were valid for bookings made between May 4 and May 5 and for travels completed by May 18, so consumers are advised to be constantly on the lookout for upcoming deals.
"People will have access to some incredible getaway deals, but to find out where to and for how much, they'll have to keep visiting the website every Monday," says Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways' chief commercial officer.
For those travelling on business class, the airline has been offering discounted fares starting from Dh1,000 to customers who book on selected routes (the promotion ends today).
Destinations covered include Bahrain, Bangkok, Brussels, Casablanca, Doha, Dammam, Dublin, Geneva, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Kuwait, Manila, Milan, Muscat and Tehran.
For UAE travelers who have money to spare, the discounted hotel rates and airfares indeed make 2009 the best year to get on the plane and head out to their dream destinations.
George Soultis, president and chief executive officer of Ganymedes Tours, a tour operator based in Greece, says consumers should take advantage of the price cuts as the discounts being offered this year may not be replicated next year or in the years to come.
Soultis says traffic from the Middle East to Greece dropped by 30 per cent this year compared to a year ago. "But with the good offers that we have now, Greece is becoming more affordable, so we expect tourist numbers from this region to increase. This 30 per cent decline might become 20 per cent or less," he adds.
Raymond Viego, manager for leisure travel at Emad Tours, confirms Europe has been experiencing a decline in demand from Middle East travellers due to the recession. The swine flu outbreak in Mexico is compounding the situation.
"Our season for Middle East to Europe usually starts from May right into August. We expected it to be early this time because you have Ramadan in the middle of August, which is sort of breaking the season. But this time, it did not happen," Viego says.
"A few bookings did come in but unfortunately, you have this swine flu coming in. There have been cancellations when reports about swine flu broke. There have been cases of swine flu in areas that we promote. Overall, the decrease is about 30 per cent or more. But we are keeping our fingers crossed. We're still hoping for the best."
Aside from lowering hotel rates, several holiday destinations are now offering other forms of stimulus packages that can help cut down spending on travel.
In Thailand, which attracted more than 400,000 GCC-based travelers in 2008, the government has introduced 50 per cent entry fee reductions to several of its attractions, including the National Parks and Marine Parks.
Mohammad Umar, managing director at Fathimah Continental Tours and Travel, however notes, that Thailand continues to witness strong demand from the region despite the recession. Travel bookings from GCC residents actually increased by 20 per cent this year.
Jason Ong, area director for Middle East and Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, says the Middle East continues to show strong demand, but they're offering attractive deals to keep the momentum. The tourism board is pushing for the circulation of privilege cards, which offer travelers access to discounts at over 90 outlets.
"The areas where we really focus our efforts on like the UAE or Saudi Arabia have seen double-digit growth. The number of visitors from the UAE to Singapore increased by 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2009 from the same period last year. Overall, we expect a strong summer season, but definitely the Ramadan period will make the month of August weaker than last year," he adds.
