Abu Dhabi: It’s the desire of every individual to make festive season holidays as memorable as possible and while there’s truth to the notion ‘that there’s no place like home for the holidays’ that pulls many to return to their home countries, holidaymakers also want to head to top-draw destinations around the world to catch the festive spirit.
“The top destinations among Emiratis, Arabs, Asians and Europeans are Georgia, Armenia, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Vietnam. People prefer such destinations for safety, affordability, and lack of visa requirements,” Thomas said.
Some families, who cannot afford travelling abroad for holidays, opt for boat cruises, she said. “There are big boat cruises for seven nights, between Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat and Bahrain that range from Dh2,500 to Dh3,000, including hotel stay, food and beverages, facilities, attractions and site seeing.”
Ramji Upadhyaya, ticket reservation executive at Golden Falcon Tours in the capital, advises holidaymakers to plan their trips early.
“People are always out looking for the best deals and cheap rates, so we advise them to book their tickets at least one month in advance to secure their flight seats. However, many people are reluctant to do so, because they cannot confirm their availability and are aware that they cannot get a refund once an early booking is made,” Upadhyaya said.
“The problem,” he added, “is people book their trips at the last minute and feel disappointed, because the flights are fully booked and the rates increase by over 80 per cent in holiday seasons”.
Egypt, Turkey and Jordan, he said, were among the top travel destinations at this time of the year.
According to Upadhyaya, travel volume has gone down by 30 per cent in 2016, compared to last year. He attributes it to people preferring to book online for security and safety reasons.
Another budding trend is staycations in hotels and resorts in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, Yazbeck said.
“We also come across many Arab and Asian bachelors, and families, who begin their holidays with a three- or four-day trip to Europe, and then head off to their home countries.”
Yazbeck said Turkey has been a top holiday destination for Arabs due to its oriental ambience, but the recent turmoil there has impacted the bookings.
The classic choices for many people — Los Angeles, London, Paris, Amsterdam — are still major attractions but lately, Azerbaijan, Mauritius and Seychelles are taking strong spots on holiday destination lists for many nationalities, she added.
Choices of residents
Gulf News spoke with residents in Abu Dhabi who are seeking value packages for their holidays.
The Billings family from Jamaica prefer travelling to spend time with friends and family in festive seasons.
“This is the first time in six years that my family and I will be spending Christmas and New Year back home with family and friends, We’re also
excited about visiting family in New Jersey and Florida,” said 45-year-old strategy advisor Richard Billings.
He added, “My 13-year-old son Richard Jr wants to visit London, my wife Kasha wants to go to Paris, and I want to spend New Year’s Eve in New York. I would also love to visit Thailand, the Philippines and Europe in future trips.”
Richard said that he usually books family trips two to three months in advance to get a good deal. This time round, however, it cost him about Dh42,000 for the family trip.
The trip also coincides with family plans, said his wife Kasha, 41. “I was very keen on being home during this time of the year, my dad is very ill and I had to be here to support my family. We also have a family wedding coming up,” she said.
Assistant professor Kenesha Wilson and her 12-year-old son David from Jamaica like to head home for the holidays.
“It’s great to get together and share moments with family, friends and relatives. To just relax and enjoy the good food and music,” Wilson said. “I’m keen on travelling back home or visiting new destinations for long breaks. However, on short holidays, we travel across the emirates and visit sites and attractions,” she said.
She usually plans her holidays six months in advance to get the best deals, she said. “However, flying back home to Jamaica is quite expensive, it would cost my family about Dh18,000 or even more.”
Wilson and her family will be spending this holiday season in the UK.
