Just a few days since the Eid Al Fitr break, travel agents in the UAE have been receiving inquiries for the Eid Al Adha holidays.

Based on the UAE's official calendar of public holidays, the next break will be on Arafah Day and Eid Al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice. The next long weekend, which is in a couple of months, is expected to be a longer holiday.

According to industry experts, the increase in demand for travel during this period is due to a combination of factors. This includes pent-up demand after more than a year of pandemic-related restrictions, the desire to reconnect with loved ones, and, most importantly, many residents couldn’t travel due to massive demand and unavailability of packages or hotel bookings.

“The last long weekend, our packages were full in the first week of Ramadan, and we couldn’t cater to more travel enthusiasts,” said Libin Varghese, sales director at Rooh Travel and Tourism LLC.

However, travel executives mentioned that they still need to start to market or advertise their packages, and residents are contacting them to explore options.

“We have not yet formed literary nor selected destinations for Eid Al Adha long weekend, and looking at the response, our marketing may be minimal, and we will have to reserve more airline seats and hotels in various countries,” said Varghese.

Based on industry experts, the most preferred destinations are the Caucasian countries, and people who have travelled to these countries want to explore other lesser visited places.

“The residents are now looking to travel to the Balkans and visa-on-arrival countries as it is less hassle. Furthermore, we have received many inquiries for lesser explored countries like Kenya, some African nations, East Asian countries, and South American countries,” said Ranju Abraham from Tours on Board PVT Ltd.

Industry experts said that expats from North African countries and other middle eastern countries prefer to visit Istanbul, Vietnam, and beach resorts in the Maldives and Bali.

“Many families are eager to take advantage of the summer weather and enjoy a break, possibly the schools will go for summer holidays during the long weekend,” said Abraham.

Despite the increased demand, travel agents work hard to ensure clients enjoy a safe and stress-free holiday. "We understand that people are eager to travel and reconnect with travelling post-pandemic during this important holiday period," said Robin Pathrose from Kingsland Travel and Tourism. "We are doing everything we can to make sure that our clients can do so safely and responsibly," added Pathrose.

As Eid Al Adha approaches, travel agents are optimistic that the surge in demand will continue as more people look to make up for lost time and create new memories with their loved ones.

Copyright © 2022 Khaleej Times. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).