Kuwait: Travel agencies report hike in reservations after slump

Major News of <Kuwait Times>: Travel agencies report hike in reservations after slump

A number of representatives of and workers at travel agencies reported “heavy booking action” for the Eid holidays after the slump during the holy month of Ramadan as Kuwaitis prefer to spend the fasting season at home with family and friends and postponed their touristic actions for later. In separate remarks with KUNA, they noted the period from the Eid holiday till end of school break saw hikes in reservation of 40-200 percent, with destinations such as Dubai and Istanbul particularly popular despite record-high prices for both. There was such strong demand, they added, that some families had to postpone or even cancel their holidays, failing to secure bookings.

One particular hitch in the season was the political instability in Lebanon which resulted in the cancelation of bookings for Beirut, particularly after the warning issued by the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry against nationals traveling to the Arab country, along with similar warnings by Gulf countries. When it came to new attractions and destinations this year, they noted there was particular interest in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria. Travel agent Hassan Abdulkarim said the relatively short holiday and political instability largely limited choices to destinations such as Dubai, Istanbul and east Asia. The surge in demand was met by airliners listing additional flights, “and it is by now extremely difficult to secure booking for the main destinations this season”.

One thing that confuses agents’ plans, he said, is that many Kuwaitis decide on their destinations and time of travel “with too little time left for arranging it all”. Abdulkarim said that in addition to making it harder for the agent to arrange the trip, this means that the customer pays a lot more as a result of hike in prices and lack of options. Mohammad Al-Tasabahji, a travel agency manager, told KUNA there are now 16 flights to Dubai per day for the Eid season, with only Kuwait Airways, Emirates, FlyDubai and Jazeera Airways offering direct flight.

There was a drop meanwhile in bookings for Cairo, Beirut, and Damascus as a result of the political situation and the majority of bookings to these destinations are by people visiting or returning home rather than tourists. When it comes to prices for Kuwaitis’ top destination Dubai, he said the prices are high compared to those seen before Ramadan, despite the offers of four-star and five-star hotels. The increase in price stands between 45 and a whopping 85 percent, he noted. Bookings for Europe dropped due to the short holiday and the fall season, but London bookings were unaffected and the British capital remains as ever Kuwaitis’ top destination, he remarked. Al-Tasabahji said there was increase in use of online booking, but noted this comes with limitations such as inability to change timings after making payment, and the fact that there is use of credit cards involved. This is why some customers still prefer to go through an agent.

Mubasher Asharaf, a bookings manager at a travel agency, said he saw Kuwaitis mainly opting for three destinations for Eid and the following weeks – Dubai for trips lasting no more than seven days, east Asia for 7-10 day trips, and Europe for trips over 10 days. Young customers, he pointed out, preferred Dubai, Bangkok, and Sharm El-Sheikh, while families opted for Istanbul and Europe, along with Dubai with its attractive proximity. Prices for Dubai, he agreed, have surged considerably. “The surplus in demand leads to listing extra flights and the difficulty in securing bookings results in doubling of prices for tickets.”

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