Ramadan calls for staycations

Come Ramadan, domestic travellers play a vital role in sustaining the tourism industry in the Middle East. In a bid to attract more and more domestic tourists, the travel industry in the Middle East has been promoting ‘Staycations’ to encourage travel within the seven emirates and other areas in the GCC.

During Ramadan the working hours are restricted, giving expats the perfect opportunity to either go for outbound or inbound vacations which will give them a lot of benefits whilst those who fast will remain loyal to the inbound staycations during the period.

The concept of ‘Staycations’ was originally introduced by five star and beach properties a couple of years ago as they saw the emergence of a niche segment in a market that yearns for something different. With the dawn of staycations, various properties started adopting this model and initiated schemes which would enable a higher number of domestic tourists to enjoy the facilities at various properties.

The corporate and MICE sector also discovered the value of this scheme and ensured that more MICE events are arranged during this period which are planned closer to a weekend, therefore allowing travellers attending an event to bring along their family as well. Travel agents and tour operators too are able to secure more business during this time as they get better incentives and rates to pass on to their clientele ensuring more business value during the summer.

They are able to provide offers for short haul destinations. The most popular destinations for domestic tourists are Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar as they also enjoy accessibility from UAE by road.