Georgia, Armenia top destinations for Eid break

Quarantine-free status a must-have for residents planning an extended holiday

UAE residents are flying out to Georgia, Armenia and Serbia during the upcoming six-day Eid break, with these countries taking full advantage of travellers’ need to have quarantine-free stays.

Some of the tour packages to these destinations are sold out, according to travel industry sources, with the offered rates being another major pull.

In recent days, interestingly, two African destinations — Zanzibar and Kenya — too have shot up in prominence as Eid and summer getaway spots for UAE travellers.

The UAE has declared that the Eid Al Adha and Arafat day holidays for ministries and federal entities will be from July 19 to July 22. Plus with the weekend added on, airlines are hopeful that a sizeable number of UAE residents will be heading for their first proper summer break since 2019.

A flight to Tbilisi, Georgia, will cost Dh1,025 to Dh1,362. Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is cheaper with fares starting from just Dh844. In comparison, a flight to the island destination of Maldives can cost as much as Dh2,920. Vienna (Austria) and Frankfurt in Germany cost between Dh1,000 to Dh2,000 for Economy.

Litmus test

The Eid week is also a litmus test for some of the ‘travel corridors’ set up by UAE with a growing list of countries. “A few have started — like Switzerland, Germany, and Austria — but the visa part is still a challenge,” said a spokesperson for Dubai-based Uranus Travel & Tours.