JEDDAH: Airlines and travel agencies have been receiving a number of requests from vacationers for postponing their return flights. This follows the Kingdom’s directives to the schools to postpone their reopening by one to two weeks.
“We have received varied requests. Some want to be here by Oct. 3 when the teaching staff of some schools have been asked to report for work. Others want return bookings by Oct. 10 for the reopening of higher classes. Yet some others would like to return by Oct. 17 when lower classes are to reopen,” a senior executive at Attar Travel said.
“It’s difficult to entertain such requests, as some of the airline seats are heavily booked by regular travelers and Umrah passengers,” said another travel agent.
“We are trying to satisfy everyone with the cooperation of various carriers,” he said.
Aside from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Oman, Syria and the UAE, some of the other popular destinations where Saudis have spent this year’s summer include Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Britain and France.
“Travel agencies and airlines are receiving requests for their new return dates from passengers who have traveled to these places,” he added.
Saudis going abroad are known as great spenders and their expenditures have been increasing year after year.
According to the Saudi Tourism Information and Research Center (MAS), the Kingdom accounted for over $5.9 billion in outbound tourism expenditure from around four million Saudi tourists in 2008, said Majed Saud Kaki, assistant general manager of Elaf Group of Companies.
“A significant reduction in travel costs has further boosted outbound travel in the Kingdom as an increasing number of residents are now exploring new destinations to visit,” he said.
Requests for the postponement of returning dates have been too many, as some international schools have also announced their decisions to extend their summer breaks.
After Pakistan International School’s English and Aziziah sections extended their summer breaks, the International Indian Schools have also announced postponement of their reopening.
In a fresh communication, Indian Ambassador M.O.H. Farook said International Indian Schools in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Buraidah, Jubail, Al-Khafji and Tabuk would reopen for their higher classes (intermediate and secondary) on Oct. 10 and for their elementary sections on Oct. 17.
The Indian schools thus follow the Saudi government’s instructions to extend the summer break in Saudi schools by one week for the intermediate and secondary schools and two weeks for elementary schools.
The move is aimed at containing the spread of swine flu and to prepare teachers with swine-flu information. International Indian School, Jeddah, was scheduled to reopen on Sept. 28.
