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Dubai: Airfares from the UAE to India and the UK are witnessing an uptick ahead of Ramadan, with flight prices already up 13 to 32 per cent compared to last year. Travel metasearch engine Wego revealed in a new report that hotel occupancy rates in Dubai are also experiencing a slight price increase and limited availability compared to last year.
Cheap flights may be harder to come by as the prices for flights to India and the UK have already risen, said Wego. “This year’s Ramadan coincides with school breaks, which could be a reason for the instant spike in travel demand. We expect to see a further increase in airfares as we approach the Eid break,” said the company.
Airfares to India have gone up to Dh713.06 from Dh627.37 in 2022. Travel to the UK and popular European destinations also experienced rate hikes compared to February 2022.
Regarding popular travel destinations in the GCC, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait are popular among UAE travellers. As for international travel, Egypt, India, and Pakistan remain firm favourites.
High occupancy rates for hotels
Dubai’s hospitality sector saw a strong rebound in 2022 after the pandemic, with 14.36 million international visitors arriving in the emirate and daily occupancy remaining over 70 per cent.
Due to a busy event schedule and the upcoming Ramadan season, hotel rooms in Dubai experienced a slight price increase and limited availability compared to last year. Many hotels were close to full occupancy due to conferences and sporting events, resulting in expensive rates for those without prior bookings.
The average hotel price on Wego in Dubai last month reached Dh807 ($219.76), with hotel occupancy at 80.5 per cent, around 7 per cent higher than in the same month in 2022. An extra 48,000 new rooms will be available in the UAE by 2030, with Dubai providing 76 per cent of the total supply.
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