Demand for flights and hotels has taken a turn for the worse due to the extra week-long holiday period slotted during Eid Al Adha this year. Dubai and Doha’s residents should expect to enjoy extended vacations starting from around Arafat Day, given that the prices of regional travel are going to increase rapidly, well beyond the norm.
But, don’t think that you must travel on the air to get costly vacations. These smart travellers are gradually opting to forgo the hassle of a flight booking altogether and look at combining their holiday with package deal tour operators, low cost airline websites, and visa accessible destinations in order to find a better deal. An Eid escape needn’t be expensive to enjoy if you follow the right strategy.
Why is Eid Al Adha Travel Expensive?
Eid holidays trips are one of the common trip periods for traveling out of town in the Gulf. Once the public holiday map is released, airlines normally increase their prices on popular routes because of high demand and a shortage of seats.
The highest increases in rates will typically be observed on peak days. It’s possible that those who travel on the fringes of the holiday season will see far more expensive ticket rates, especially for countries that have many GCC visitors, including the Caucasus, Central Asia and South Asia.
Opt for flight and hotel packages together
Booked travel packages instead of their separate flights is one of the ways to minimize travel costs for Eid, a fun activity. Package providers frequently end up including low-cost air in packages in order to sell out their booked hotel properties.
Some of the platforms that are popular amongst the UAE residents for Eid packages are Holiday Factory and Musafir. Usually these packages include flights with accommodation, airport transfers and sights, and offer them at a fixed price in a package, which is often even cheaper than airfare plus hotels.
If you are travelling from Qatar, you can avail the vacation packages offered by Qatar Airways Holidays, where you can pay part of the tickets with the Avios reward points. This can lower the expenses of frequent flyers, while offering them benefits from hotels, such as upgrades or other travel benefits.
Tour Low-Cost Airline Holiday Portals
Holidays have a frequent presence to provide destination packages for this kind of places:
- Armenia (Yerevan)
- Georgia (Tbilisi)
- Sri Lanka (Colombo)
They will generally package the flight and hotel at a lower wholesale rate than you would be able to find that’s not available on a regular travel comparison website. In addition, regional airlines can offer Doha residents better prices if travel on direct routes is more costly during the Eid season.
Focus on Visa-Friendly Destinations
For the Eid holidays, it can be beneficial to book a holiday to a country that requires no visa or only an e-visa. Some of the most popular choices for GCC travelers are:
- Georgia — Allure and appeal are cool weather, mountains and fast processing of visas.
- Armenia offers great short trip options, cultural diversity, and family-friendly offers.
- Azerbaijan — Perfect for city trips or weekend adventures.
- Kazakhstan — Almaty, the mountain city, for outdoor and nature adventures.
Countries with a travel system that is visa friendly minimize the delay in appointment and minimize the risk of travel disruption particularly during the peak season.
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Always Look for Fixed Departure Packages
Some ‘cheap travel packages’ aren’t, in fact, cheap. Some travel agencies offer low initial rates, only to tack on charge ups for the season or change hotels.
Look for “Fixed Departure” or “Guaranteed Pricing” offers when comparing offers. These tend to tie up the airfare and hotel rates right at time of booking and little to no surprise expenses at Eid.
FAQs
How to get from Dubai or Doha at the least cost during Eid Al Adha?
One of the most economical ways of doing this is by going on an air-lodge package, instead of splitting your traveling costs.
What are the most economical next destinations for Eid travel from the gulf countries?
Countries like Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan remain among the most budget friendly destinations to visit during Eid among visa friendly countries.
How to prevent price hikes?
Try to not leave right before Eid, particularly during busy times, e.g., evening time. Often the initial day of Eid or a slight adjustment can lead to a lower cost of travel.
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