Saudi Arabia is giving hot competition to Dubai for attracting tourists from India, with air travel bookings for travel to the Kingdom for the current April-May holiday season posting a whopping 75 percent surge, latest industry data showed.
Saudi Authorities’ recent push to woo international tourists to the country by easing travel restrictions and simplifying visa procedures is driving the demand for travel to the country for tourism.
The Kingdom’s added focus on religious tourism to Holy cities like Mecca and Medina are also adding to the surge in demand for travel to the country.
“Saudi Arabia is becoming an increasingly popular travel destination [for travellers from India], with data showing a 75 percent increase in demand during April-May compared to the [corresponding period of] last year,” Atish Thapa, Head-business development at Cleartrip, the leading online travel agency (OTA) in GCC and India, told Arabian Business.
Senior executives at other travel services firms and OTAs also confirmed the trend of Saudi Arabia moving up significantly in popularity for travel and tourism from the Indian sub-continent.
Industry insiders also said the relatively lower fares in Saudia is also aiding Riyadh to get a slice of transit travel from Indian passengers heading for several western and other international destinations.
“This time around, we preferred Saudia as we could get business class tickets for our travel from New Jersey to Kerala and back at a highly competitive rate. We could get the tickets at a little higher price than what it would have cost us for an economy class ticket in Emirates or Etihad,” Susy Francis, an Indian-American medical professional living in New Jersey, told Arabian Business.
Data showed a significant jump – over 50 percent – in bookings for travel in the India- GCC sector for the April-May period, compared to the same period last year.
A summer session break for schools and colleges, April-May is a busy holiday season in India for international travel.
Thapa, however, the UAE still continues to be the most popular region for travellers from India, with the data showing the Gulf country accounting for the majority of bookings in the Middle East.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are still the top destinations for travellers from the South Asian country.
“Despite the increase in demand, Saudi Arabia still lags behind the UAE in terms of overall popularity. However, the trend is certainly worth watching, as KSA could emerge as a major player in the Middle Eastern tourism industry in the coming years,” Thapa said.
He also said overall, the data shows that the Middle East remains an attractive destination for travellers from India, with the UAE leading the way and Saudi Arabia showing significant growth potential.
“As the world continues to open up and travel becomes easier, it will be interesting to see how these trends develop in the future,” Thapa said.
The latest industry data also revealed the travel industry seeing a significant shift in booking patterns compared to the previous year, with travellers now more likely to plan their trips well in advance.
In the 2022 April-May season, last-minute travel accounted for 16 percent of all bookings, but in 2023, that number has decreased to 11 percent.
On other hand, longer-term bookings – defined as those made one month or more in advance – have jumped from 43 percent in 2022 to 53 percent in 2023, suggesting that people are starting to feel more comfortable planning for future travel, industry data showed.
“Overall, these trends demonstrate that people are becoming more confident in booking travel plans in advance, and are eager to travel again,” Thapa said.
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