Arab football fans travel in record numbers to enjoy Russia’s World Cup party
For some football fans in the Arab world, today is a very special occasion because the wait for the greatest sporting show on Earth is finally over.
Paired with the start of Eid Al Fitr, it promises to be a bigger party than usual as record numbers travel to Russia to enjoy the month-long World Cup festival of football.
Fans from the Mena region are travelling to Russia in huge numbers to see their heroes on the biggest sporting stage, according to online searches for hotels and flights compiled by Dubai travel operator Wego.
“This year, with the unprecedented qualification of four Arab teams for the World Cup, excitement levels are higher than ever before,” said Mamoun Hmedan, managing director of Wego Mena and India.
“Football in this region is a celebrated pastime that binds people of different nationalities together. Year on year, Wego has seen more Gulf travellers fly out to the host country to watch the games live.”
Football fever has gripped the region, with Wego’s research showing interest in attending matches from Mena residents has grown exponentially. Since April, there was a 1,493 per cent jump in Russian hotel searches from the region, compared with the same period last year.
Meanwhile, there has been a 402 per cent rise in flight searches to Russian cities, with Moscow and St Petersburg the most popular destinations.
“Wego recorded a 16-fold increase in interest for World Cup-led hotel searches, a number that appears to be growing every day,” Mr Hmedan said.
Saudi Arabia will kick off the tournament against hosts Russia tonight, with Egypt’s 2018 debut taking place tomorrow.
The Pharaohs may be sweating on the fitness of star player Mohamed Salah, but that hasn’t stopped hordes of fans travelling to support the team.
Search volumes for the past three months have Saudi Arabia ranked top of the list for interest in trips to Russia, followed by Egypt and the UAE.
In terms of hotel searches, Saudi Arabia came first, with a 2,069 per cent rise on last year, while Egypt was second with a 1,412 per cent rise in traffic.
Flight bookings from Saudi Arabia to Russia are up 544 per cent on last year, followed by Egypt, up 459 per cent, and Bahrain with an increase of 342 per cent. Flights were cheapest from the UAE to Russia, at US$479 (Dh1,760) during the build-up to the World Cup.
Wego search analytics also revealed that the average fan from Kuwait paid more than $394 for a hotel in Russia.
“Saudi football fans are known to be incredibly passionate about the sport,” Mr Hmedan said. “For them, money is no barrier when making travel bookings, especially if it means a chance to watch the World Cup directly from the stands. We’ve also seen travellers from Kuwait exhibit similar tendencies.”