Travel firms see demand increase for Eid holidays

Abu Dhabi:The travel industry in Abu Dhabi has witnessed "an increased demand" for Eid holidays this year, tour operators told Gulf News Tuesday.

Thousands of people are expected to fly out of the capital from today onwards as the public sector takes a five-day break.

Many UAE nationals did not travel abroad this summer due to the fact that Ramadan began in August this year. There are very few seats left on many flights while those still remaining are now being sold at heavily inflated prices.

The most popular destinations for UAE nationals and expatriates this Eid are Europe, Thailand and Malaysia.

Etihad Holidays has seen strong demand for its special weekend breaks in destinations including Egypt, Malaysia and Jordan.

A spokesperson for Etihad Airways said: "Demand this year to our popular Eid destinations in the Mediterranean, the Levant, the Middle East and the Far East is clearly higher compared to the same Eid period last year.

"The most popular destinations for travellers from the UAE during this period include Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Beirut, Cairo, Amman, Damascus and Larnaca."

Burst of activity

Some travel operators said there had been a late burst of activity following Sunday's announcement of public sector holidays.

Louis Fernandes, Tourist Manager at Bin Ham Travel, said: "We have seen a late surge in bookings since Sunday's announcement of holidays for the public sector.

"However, the majority of travellers had already pre-booked their holidays. Ninety per cent of flights are full and the ones remaining are at much higher prices than a few weeks ago. For example, return flights to Malaysia were starting at Dh2,800 but they now begin at Dh4,500.

"This Eid has actually been busier than last years; very few UAE nationals travelled over the summer due to the fact that Ramadan fell in August this year. Many of them have decided to wait until after Eid to go on holiday.

"Europe remains the most popular destination for UAE nationals and expatriates with Malaysia and Thailand also proving to be very popular. There has been little difference in the number of Pakistani expatriates travelling home despite the floods in their home country."

Amid the economic slowdown, the Abu Dhabi Travel Bureau said Eid was a vital trading period. Mohammad Salehi, General Manager of the Bureau, said: "We anticipate heavy travel during this Eid season and we plan to offer more destinations and better offers to our customers.

"Being one of the leading travel companies in the UAE, the Eid trading period is very important for our company and we always try out best to deliver a quality service."