TDT | Manama
Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Report by Zahra Ayaz
In Bahrain, winter has always been synonymous with traveling abroad to celebrate Christmas and New Year and enjoy the joy of snowfall. However, travel agents have expressed concern over the unusually low demand for ticket bookings during the festive period.
Travelers typically book their tickets well in advance to avoid the soaring prices associated with the holiday season, but high demand has made it increasingly difficult to find empty seats.
But this year, travel agents have noticed a significant drop in bookings and are looking for an explanation. Thaha Marzooque, director of Travel Knits & Vacanza, in an interview with his Tribune daily reveals the reasons behind the unexpected trend of low demand for flight bookings for winter holidays.
Marzouk expressed concern about the lack of reservations and speculated on potential factors contributing to this decline.
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One of the factors he highlights is the current political scenario and ongoing conflicts, which may deter travelers from planning their vacations. The uncertainty surrounding these events can be a major deterrent.
However, Marzouk acknowledged that the political situation alone may not be the full explanation, given the consistent low level of inter-ethnic traffic since September. Marzouk also points out that popular winter holiday destinations such as the UK and Turkey are also seeing fewer bookings compared to last year.
Still, he remains hopeful: “We are optimistic and expect to see an increase in bookings in the second week of November.” Despite the overall decline in demand, certain holiday packages are being offered to take advantage of the upcoming Bahrain National Day holiday.
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“Fixed departure flights to Azerbaijan and Turkey are available and other travel agencies are also promoting packages to Georgia. In addition, in commemoration of the 52nd Bahrain National Day, early bird discounts on holiday packages are being offered and discounts on BD52 are also being offered,” he added.
Marzouk pointed to the popularity of mini-vacations during National Day. With 3-4 day vacations available, many people choose to extend their vacation and go on a getaway to the nearby countryside.
As the travel industry grapples with an unexpected drop in winter holiday ticket bookings, travel agents and airlines are closely monitoring the situation. Bookings are expected to increase in the second week of November as travelers soak up the festive spirit and finally make their long-awaited travel plans.