Summer travel bookings set to surge despite sharp increase in the cost of plane tickets
The travel industry has predicted a surge in the number of UAE residents travelling abroad for Eid Al Fitr and throughout the summer this year.
Flight bookings are expected to increase despite higher demand and fuel costs causing a 57 per cent rise in ticket prices in the region.
Experts say there is a pent-up desire to travel among people keen to make up for lost time after two years of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
They also expect travellers to book longer holidays this year and spend more than they did before.
“As more flights resume and more destinations ease travel restrictions, we see stronger demand for travel,” said Mamoun Hmedan, Wego’s chief commercial officer and managing director for the Mena region and India.
“The average airfares have also changed as a result. They have spiked for some holiday destinations and decreased for others.”
Dubai resident Anna Parks said she initially planned to return to Scotland with her young
son for a few weeks in the summer to spend time with family and friends.
But she is now reconsidering after the price of flights increased sharply.
“The price has jumped up so wildly that it’s putting me off flying home this year,” said Ms Parks, 31, who owns a barber shop in Dubai.
“I’m probably still going to leave Dubai, but I’m going to look around for a cheaper flight to somewhere else.
“I could get a cheaper connecting flight, which would be fine if I didn’t have my child with me.”
Several countries have reported a drop in the average price of flights from the UAE.
Travel costs for Saudi Arabia and Egypt have fallen by 17 per cent, Mr Hmedan said.
Trips to Turkey have dropped by 33 per cent this month, with flights now priced at Dh700 ($190) on average.
But fares to the Czech Republic have increased by 17 per cent to Dh770, while flights to Armenia now cost an average of Dh750, a rise of 20 per cent.
“Our latest data also show that travellers will be spending more and travelling longer this summer,” said Mr Hmedan.
“The average booking value for flights this summer has increased by 57 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2019.
“Hence, despite the increase in airfares to certain destinations, travellers are still keen to travel to make up for the lost time during the pandemic.”
Hugh Aitken, vice president of flights at Skyscanner, said there were several factors behind the increased costs.
“We have seen the recent developments in Ukraine affect oil prices and this has knockon effects for almost every industry,” he said.
“Flight prices have been low for the past two years as carriers have used low fares to compete for bookings as travel restarted following the initial shutdown in March 2020.
“However, over the past few months robust travel demand has allowed airlines to price airfares closer to pre-pandemic levels to return to profitability.”
Despite the higher prices, the number of bookings for Eid is up by 195 per cent compared with last year, said a senior figure at dnata, the aviation services arm of Emirates.
“In 2021, staycations and the Indian Ocean proved most popular for travellers from the UAE looking to take a well-deserved break over Eid Al Fitr,” said Emily Jenkins, general manager at dnata Travel Leisure.
“While these destinations remain ever popular for travellers, this year, we are seeing a broader range of travel options starting to trend, across Asia, Europe and North America.
“The demand for travel is at a high as many countries are opening their borders to tourists once again.”