For many families in Bahrain, this year’s Eid Al Adha travel plans are less about adventure and more about practicality – trading distant holidays for shorter, safer and more affordable trips across the GCC.
According to travel agents across the country, in the light of regional uncertainties, the UAE, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will see the most vacationers from the kingdom, while previously popular destinations such as Türkiye have seen a drop off due to rising costs.
Eid Al Adha will start on the evening of Tuesday, with public holidays running until Friday.
Speaking to the GDN, Bahrain International Travel general manager C D Singh said that the outlook is more cautious than previous years due to the unstable situation in the region. “Outbound flights are less than usual due to several factors such as the rising cost of air fare and the fact that many expats have left the kingdom,” said Mr Singh.
“We could see some inbound movement after Eid Al Adha with expats expected to slowly return. Locally, Bahrainis are prioritising value and safety with short, affordable GCC trips, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi leading the way as the most popular destinations.
“Many are travelling to Saudi Arabia as well, not just for Haj, but also for day trips to Dammam and Al Khobar, as well as longer trips to places like Riyadh.
“While most travellers remain families as opposed to solo holiday-goers, there is an increased hesitancy due to regional tensions, prompting more people to choose closer destinations.”
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have consistently been among the most popular short trip destinations due to low air fares than in the previous years, safety, familiarity and the array of offers now available.
Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for example, is running major ‘Kids Go Free’ packages, where children aged 11 and under stay, play and dine for free at participating hotels when accompanied by paying adults.
Packages include access to parks like Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros World and SeaWorld Yas Island.
In the future, the 1,700-km-long GCC Railway project, which according to reports has surpassed the 50 per cent completion mark, is expected to facilitate travel between the region even further upon its completion in 2030.
Meanwhile, Bahrain Holidays chief executive Mahmood Al Kadhem said that demand for travel is still present but at a more cautious pace due to rising prices for longer distances, current regional challenges and, perhaps most significantly, summer holidays being right around the corner.
“There is still continued demand for nearby destinations such as Qatar, Kuwait and Oman for short family trips, as well as some group tourism packages to Türkiye and Azerbaijan.
“Religious trips are especially in high demand now, linked of course to the Haj season and the Day of Arafah. Therefore, most families are opting to travel nearby instead of long distances but that may also be due to the fact that the holidays are shorter compared to the summer period from late June to late August.
“Many families especially, if they are around four-strong, would rather save money to travel during the summer holidays, because they have more time off and more variety of choices when it comes to destinations.
“Eid Al Adha trips are usually focused on closer destinations, so this time is no different.”
Magnum Travel Services travel and tours general manager Haifa Oun also stated that the majority of travellers are choosing to forsake long-distance travel in order to wait for summer holidays.
“While some people are travelling during Eid, it is mostly to traditional short break destinations, mainly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with Doha also being a popular choice due to its accessibility by air and land.
“Most travellers will be going on holidays during the summer break which starts next month.
“So far, Europe and the Far East – Malaysia and Thailand, remain the most popular destinations for the summer, alongside Egypt and Morocco.”
Once popular destinations like Türkiye, at one point considered a highly affordable destination for Bahraini travellers, has seen less travellers from the kingdom due to rampant inflation causing prices of hotels, dining and tourist activities to skyrocket, although it could come good if costs settle down.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan has firmly established itself as a top travel destination for Bahraini tourists for Eid during recent years, driven by direct short-haul flights, relaxed visa policies, and diverse cultural and family-friendly attractions.
Other popular Eid Al Adha destinations that are slowly gaining popularity outside the Middle East include Georgia, Armenia and Russia – especially Moscow and Sochi.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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