Manama: As Kuwaitis are getting to go abroad during the school break at the end of this week, travel agencies named Dubai and Istanbul as the two top destinations.

Keen on taking advantage of the mid-year break in the academic year that will last until January 24, Kuwaitis have been planning holidays, preferably in the region.

Cheaper air tickets resulting from the growing competition between airlines have contributed to a greater interest in spending the winter holidays abroad.

“Both Dubai and Istanbul have all the components and assets to serve as great travel destinations,” travel agents told Kuwait News Agency (Kuna). “In fact, they have been the favourite destination for Kuwaitis for the last five years. There is renewed interest in travel to Egypt and Lebanon, and we have had several people travel to Beirut for the New Year. At the same time, some Syrians are flying to Syria now that the situation seems to have become quieter,” they said.

Factors that contributed to the status of Dubai and Istanbul as the top destinations included the facts that the holidays are short and that Kuwaitis can enter the UAE and Turkey easily, they added.

Thailand and Malaysia remain the most sought-after destinations in the Far East, while Europe has very few takers, mainly as a consequence of the cold weather. London tops the list of the European destinations, followed by Munich, Barcelona and Madrid.

Religious holidays are also popular during the winter break, Ahmad Abdul Rahman, a booking officer in a travel agency, said.

“A high number of people opt to perform Umrah and book flights to Jeddah airport and hotels in Makkah,” he said, quoted by the news agency.

He added that Kuwaitis wherever they went tended to stay in hotels and furnished apartments that were close to shopping centres and malls.

Kuwaitis and foreign residents who cannot for any reason travel during the holidays will profit from the events organised as part of the “Hala February 2015” festival, a combination of special shopping offers, recreational festivities and cultural events, Kuna added.