DAMMAM, 9 November 2003 — Umrah and tour operators in the Eastern Province are experiencing a record decline in pilgrim traffic this year and they say there are no signs of improvement.
People around the world usually flock to the Kingdom for Umrah during Ramadan. Not so this year. Tour operators say that the new Umrah regulations are one reason for the decline of traffic from abroad and have urged a review of the rules and reduction of the security deposit.
This year’s bookings in the first and second week of Ramadan were less than 50 percent of last year’s. The decline in traffic has led tour operators to slash their rates, but so far without success.
There is very fierce competition among Umrah operators throughout the year, and rates go down as low as SR90 per pilgrim. The package includes a return journey to Makkah and Madinah, one meal and soft drinks. Other packages include a stay in hotels in Makkah and Madinah and meals, priced between SR150 to SR300. However, these packages are available only in the off-season excluding Ramadan, Eid holidays, and the Haj period.
In Ramadan and Eid holidays, rates increase by 200 percent. The cheapest package is SR240 per pilgrim. In the final week of Ramadan for the Lailatul Qadr (Divine Night) the rates are at their maximum.
However, this year the operators say they might be forced to slash their prices due to low traffic. Another reason for the low traffic is ongoing examinations at several schools in the region.
“The recent violence in Makkah and fear of terror have also been a reason for the decline,” said Abdullah Ali Al-Shehri, an Umrah operator in Dammam.
Interestingly, the national carrier Saudia is reporting complete bookings for all the flights to Jeddah for the rest of the month.
“If we go by bookings alone, business is as usual,” said Zahid Ali, a travel agent in Dammam. But the airline as well as travel agents fear that there will be many cancellations in the coming days and the flights will eventually be light. “A lot of people book several flights and later cancel,” Ali said.
