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Demand for leisure travel during the Eid Al Fitr holidays has surged as more countries are re-opening their borders and easing pandemic-related restrictions, according to Emirates airline’s subsidiary Dnata Travel.
The travel provider said on Tuesday that total volume of local and international travel bookings for the anticipated Eid Al Fitr break is up by 195 percent so far in 2022, compared to the overall bookings made throughout the same holiday period in 2021.
The public holiday is expected to start at the end of the month. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation has just announced that the holiday for private sector employees will begin from Ramadan 29 to Shawwal 3, which corresponds to April 30 to May 3 or 4.
According to Dnata, 65 percent of UAE travellers are planning to travel abroad during the holiday, while 35 percent are opting for staycations.
The most-booked overseas destinations include Maldives, Turkey, Mauritius and Oman, while places like Bali and Singapore are starting to “gain traction” and Thailand is also fast-climbing the list of top ten popular spots for Eid break.
“The demand for travel is at a high as many countries are opening their borders to tourists once again, or relaxing, or removing COVID-19 related travel regulations easing a passenger’s journey,” said Emily Jenkins, General Manager at Dnata Travel Leisure.
(Writing by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Seban Scaria)
