UAE residents opting to stay local for the holidays; rising ticket prices plays Scrooge with travel plans

Even as the holiday season kicks off with school closures in effect for the winter break, many UAE residents are opting to stay local for the festivities, citing high airfares as a deterrent to overseas travel plans.

According to an Emirates 24|7 poll, 55 per cent of respondents stated they will stay home for the holidays.

Another 15 per cent stated that despite overseas travel being ruled out, they were planning to take a short trip to another emirate for the winter break.

Meanwhile, a 12 per cent of respondents were sitting on the fence, stating they were still waiting for reasonable ticket prices to determine any future travel plans.

Only a remaining 17 per cent revealed they were travelling outside the country for the long break.

Dubai resident Kiran Lakhiani spoke to the website, saying: “Due to my office taking time to approve my holiday plans, my family was unable to book our flights to Mumbai until December first week.

“By then the airfares had skyrocketed over the Christmas and New Year break, with Mumbai return flights costing Dh3,000-direct from Dubai, and maybe a few hundred dirhams lesser if we travel on a budget carrier from Sharjah or attempt Abu Dhabi.”

Imran Balooshi, a Sharjah resident, said: “We were hoping to travel to Pakistan, but with the current situation in the country, we cancelled our plans. And any other destination such as Thailand or Indonesia is working out to be too expensive.”

Shivani Roshan, a Dubai resident, said: “We can’t afford flights; we left it for too late. So either we will book a few nights in Fujairah or Ras Al Khaimah for our staycation or perhaps drive to Oman and camp there around New Year’s Eve.”

Amy Masters, whose family lives in Leeds, said: “I am still hoping that some last minute drop in price will allow me a cheaper alternative to fly to Manchester. I am even okay with departing on December 31 morning if need be. Maybe there will be a New Year miracle if not a Christmas one.”

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