Old favourites, GCC destinations in demand for Eid holiday travel

Besides a number of popular tourist spots in Europe, neighbouring GCC countries and those that offer visa-on-arrival for Qatar citizens and residents have become favourite destinations for Eid al-Fitr holiday travellers this year, it is learnt."There is a major surge in bookings for the upcoming Eid holidays. Georgia, Turkiye, Thailand, Armenia and any other destinations where visa is freely available for residents, the demand is quite high,” Tawfeeq Travel Group CEO Rehan Ali Syed told Gulf Times.He said the upcoming Eid al-Fitr break will be the "first full-fledged holiday” for many travellers from Qatar post-FIFA World Cup 2022 and post-Covid-19 pandemic, an occasion that is now witnessing a surge in travel demand.While the coronavirus Omicron variant may have hit the travel sector and other businesses last year, Syed said with the disease becoming endemic, people are looking forward to getting on a flight and enjoying the break.He cited a mix in travel demand, saying many Qatari citizens opt for luxurious breaks to the Maldives, Greece and Dubai (the UAE), while expatriates are looking for options where they can avail of visa-on-arrival facility to avoid the hassle of applying for visas.In general, places like Georgia, Turkiye, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Armenia and Dubai have been the most popular over the past few years. "During the Eid holidays, every traveller is looking at a 4-5-day holiday window,” Syed said, adding that they have also been receiving a number of enquiries for Saudi Arabia, especially to Al Ahsa due to its relative proximity to Qatar."With the success of the 'Riyadh Season' initiative, the local citizens are eager to experience the 'Jeddah Season' as well,” he said."Eid holiday travellers are looking for short trips rather than travelling to Europe or UK. Everyone wants to spend more time enjoying and relaxing with their loved ones rather than spending long hours on flights. So, ideally any destination reachable within 4-5 hours with minimum hassle is mostly preferred,” Syed noted. "In recent times, Greece has come up as a good destination for families along with Phuket in Thailand."Avens Travel & Tours, Doha, managing director Naser Karukapadath shared a similar view, saying that many Eid travellers from Qatar prefer fewer flying hours for their journey.This Eid, he said a lot of travellers find GCC countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Oman attractive compared to some European destinations.Karukapadath said Saudi Arabia has been attracting an increasing number of visitors, especially during the Eid holidays due to its proximity to Qatar and its new policy of easing visa restrictions for GCC residents.He noted a huge travel demand after the Covid-19 pandemic as leisure traffic for different tourism destinations, including countries in the region, continues to rise.