DAMMAM, 24 June — Saudi Arabian Airlines is reporting unprecedented rush on its Jeddah sector with passengers calling for extra flights to meet the demand.
A telephone call to Saudia Reservations revealed that flights to Jeddah from Dammam are almost fully booked for the next 10 days and on some flights the computers don’t accept reservations even on the waiting list.
Saudia officials admit that the rush is unprecedented and reflects a change of trend. “Since it is summer holidays, the rush is a normal affair,” commented a Saudia official. In previous seasons the holiday rush was divided in various sectors, but this year it appears Jeddah is the most sought-after destination, he added.
Normally expatriates travel home to spend summer vacation and hence heavy rush is experienced by all major airlines. Formerly, most Saudis used to travel abroad to spend summer holidays — the affluent opting for Western destinations while others traveling to the Middle Eastern and Asian countries.
However, in recent years the trend is changing with many traveling to local destinations like Abha, Najran and Taif. This is besides the usual summer rush of Umrah pilgrims.
This year it was noticed that many Saudis opted for Jeddah instead of other domestic and Gulf destinations. The industry sources attribute the change primarily to the increasing popularity of Jeddah Shopping Festival among the locals, who previously were traveling to Dubai for the Summer Surprise and Dubai Shopping Festival.
They say that in addition to the bargain sales, various cultural events and stunt shows have caught the imagination of the people in the Eastern Province who had been traveling to neighboring Bahrain for such recreational activities.
Bahrain continues to be a weekend getaway for Saudis in the Eastern Province, though the charm is fading.
Travel agents suggest that in view of the new trend, the national carrier should increase frequency of flights to Jeddah and Madinah and schedule extra flights during peak seasons. They also called on Saudia to design special packages for the festival period to generate greater interest in local tourism.
