Tour operators make merry as demand soars for flight tickets

Manama

With the advent of summer vacations, travel agencies in the Kingdom are witnessing a rise in demand for flight tickets. According to sources, many Far Eastern and Europeans are the most preferred destinations for Bahrainis, said sources.

Manager- Sales and Operations at World Travel Service, Eric Almeida, said Istanbul, Salalah in Oman, Bangkok, Malaysia, Singapore and Egypt are among the top picks this summer.

“Of late, the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi, known for its museums and unique architecture, is attracting a number of Bahraini tourists. Also, once the holy month of Ramadan gets over, demand would surge for for Dubai-bound flights and Dubai-based hotels,” he said.

Most tourists prefer going abroad during summer school vacations, and they book flight tickets well in advance, he said.

“Nowadays, the tourists book flight tickets and hotel rooms separately. So currently we are concentrating on selling accommodation packages for those who have already booked flight tickets,” he added.

Sales Manager of Hilton Travels Umair Nasser Ahmed said ticket sales for travel during summer vacations started in March. He said people generally book tickets well in advance before the last minute surge of charge.

Schengen countries, especially France and Italy and Far Eastern countries including Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok topped the list of most preferred destinations of Bahrainis, he said.

Though there is a good demand for foreign tourist destination, enough flight tickets are still available this year, compared to the summer vacation last year, he said.

“The holy month of Ramadan has coincided with vacation this time. On the other hand, the summer temperature has not reached its peak yet. Therefore, a portion of Bahrainis are spending their vacations in the Kingdom itself,” Umair Nasser said.

The season of Eid al-Adha, which falls during the end of September will be a busy schedule for tour operators as hundreds of Bahrainis are expected to visit abroad, he said.

Tour operators VS websites

Of late, a number of travel websites have been competing with the conventional tour operators offering attractive rates. Nasser Ahmed said, before buying tickets, most of the customers cross-check the rates with different websites, that provide online travel services. 

But they do not get proper guidelines about rules and regulations and details like cancellation charges, procedures to be followed for modification of tickets, visa information etc, putting them in trouble afterwards. If they visit a professional tour operator or travel coordinator, they can get proper information in a limited time, he said.