Georgia, Armenia, Goa among Eid hotspots

MUSCAT: Places, such as Georgia, Armenia, Goa, Kochi and Nepal, are likely to witness a surge of visitors from Oman during the Eid holidays, according to travel agents and senior airline officials.

Wasim Zaidi, general manager, Oman, Jet Airways, said: “Costconscious travellers are turning to exotic destinations keeping their budget in mind. That is one of the reasons we are getting a lot of bookings for Kathmandu in Nepal, Goa and Kochi in India.”

“The advantage of these places is that they can beat the heat and enjoy the monsoon season, which is rare in this part of world,” he said.

Travel agents said Georgia and Armenia are also turning out to be the winner this Eid because of the relaxed visa procedures. “In both these places, Indians living in Oman can get visa-on-arrival, so the demand for both the places has just shot up,” said Riyaz Kuttery, chief operating officer at Mezoon International Travel, said.

In an update issued on February 22 , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia said citizens of India, who have residence permit of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman can obtain an entry visa while crossing the border into Armenia. Omanis also get visa-on-arrival in Armenia. “We are getting a lot of bookings as budget carriers with attractive fares operate (flights) to Armenia,” Kuttery said.

According to Kuttery, there has been a shift in customer’s preferences. “Old favourites, such as Switzerland, Paris, London, Bangkok, Singapore, Colombo and Malaysia still remain attractive. But , along with these, bookings for countries, such as Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania have seen tremendous growth.”