Dubai: Weekends are an excellent time to catch up with friends and family or simply get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. No matter how tempting it may sound, a weekend getaway -- or even just a day out --is something not enjoyed by many.
For many residents in the UAE, the weekend is all about staying at home.
According to a new study released this week by Hilton Worldwide, the UAE is home to “fantasy weekenders” or individuals who are missing out on weekend fun but still lie about it.
Among the 1,013 UAE residents polled for the study, 51 per cent admitted that contrary to what their friends or colleagues might think, they stay cooped up indoors all weekend at least twice a month.
Nearly three in 10 (24 per cent) said they don’t step outside almost every weekend.
Yet, when their friends ask how their weekend went, about six in 10 will likely come up with a more exciting or different story.
Hilton’s research found that 57 per cent of residents in the UAE admitted that they exaggerate their weekend stories either to cheer them up (38 per cent), make themselves come off as fun individuals (25 per cent) or to keep up with peer pressure (20 per cent).
Weekend: Bite-sized holiday
“Many people feel stuck in a rut when it comes to how they spend their weekends. We want to encourage people to treat their weekends like a bite-sized holiday,” says Aligi Gardenghi, vice president for marketing in Europe, Middle East and Africa at Hilton Worldwide.
If money is a problem, holiday experts say there are plenty of options to choose from, to make one’s weekend memorable. Hilton, for example, is currently offering up to 33 per cent off hotel stays across the Middle East and Africa, as well as Europe.
“[It’s] the perfect way to make sure your weekends count this year and create experiences you can be proud of, whether that’s a spring getaway or simply visiting friends and family closer to home,” says Gardenghi.
Premjit Bangara, general manager for travel at Sharaf Travel Services, says it’s likely that UAE residents opt to stay at home on weekends because they think it’s expensive to do something outdoors.
Fun without breaking the bank
However, Bangara, says people can still have fun by making a quick trip to the neighbouring emirates, without breaking the bank. They just need to be “enterprising” and do a bit of research.
“We do have some enterprising residents who, after careful research, manage to do a bit of traveling and stay at inexpensive rented apartments as a group of three to four families in and around the [UAE] as well as in Oman,” Bangara tells Gulf News.
“Families link up together and drive to these places over the weekend and use their spare time to sample the local delight and get a real feel of life in a smaller town by interacting both with the residents and expatriates there. This is reasonably inexpensive as costs are being shared by them.
“Residents in the UAE have also taken advantage of special discounted rates offered by hotels in December as many properties had surplus inventory due to a slump in demand in December and January. To sum it up, there is always a deal to be had if one is judicious and checks with his travel agent or online portals for spot sales,” he adds.
Hilton’s research also found that one in ten UAE residents (9 per cent) never enjoy a short break away. About four in 10 do manage to explore the neighboring locales one to five times a year.
The study also suggests that residents are not spending much time with the loved ones, with 8 per cent admitting they don’t see any of their friends during the weekend and five per cent saying the same for their family. What keeps them entertained, instead is the good old television, with three in ten (26 per cent) saying they spend at least four hours watching TV every weekend.
