UAE | Health
Outbreak of flu curbs Eid travel
Concern about infection keeps many from flying out as bookings decline or are cancelled.
- By Zaher Bitar, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:10 September 16, 2009
Dubai: The usual rush of Eid vacationers has been affected due to Swine Flu fears, leading travel agencies have told Gulf News.
Mohammad Abdul Baki, Business Development Manger of ALTA Al Gaith and Al Musa Travel Agency, said: "Air traffic from and into UAE suffered a steep drop due to the outbreak of Swine Flu."
"Our agency reported over 50% drop in the number of passengers during Eid." He added that there has been a slump in the reservation for most of the airlines.
UAE families prefer to spend Eid holiday abroad. But this time majority are trying to avoid trips which make them susceptible to catching swine flu.
The Ramadan and Eid period is considered the season of Ummra and a time to generate huge revenue and profit for almost all the airlines.
He said: "We used to increase our frequencies of flights during Eid especially for Ummra but with the swine flu crisis we are suffering a tough decline in the booking."
Pointing that the demand on travelling to Ummra has remarkably dropped during this period, Abdul Baki said: "We used to operate more than 17 flight to Ummra every year but not this season. Even we don't have frequent flights which we used to."
Abdul Baki remarked that amid the threat of swine flu all travel agencies have reduced their prices and promoted hot Eid travel packages but the demand is still very low.
Moreover, Saifuddin Ahmad, Travel Consultant at Airlink International, said: "The breakout of Swine flu could have a direct impact on the air traffic in the UAE during Eid.
"It is the worse Eid season that [the] travel industry has ever witnessed. Our ticket sales have dropped up to 60% during Eid."
Saifuddin pointed out that the air traffic is very slow this Eid and the travel industry is losing millions every day.
"UAE expatriates who used to spend Eid holiday in their home country have cancelled their trips in concern of swine flu."
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