Saudia eases travel procedures for Turkey passengers

Saudia stated in the circular that all restrictions on tickets will be canceled in cases of re-booking, issuance and cancellation, and that the circular is effective as of June 29 until July 7. (SPA)

DAMMAM: Saudi Arabian Airlines issued a circular to all travel offices to exempt tickets with a confirmed booking to or from Turkey from all restrictions and penalties related to cancellation after the terrorist attack on Ataturk Airport, which has led hundreds of passengers to cancel their bookings.
Saudia stated in the circular that all restrictions on tickets will be canceled in cases of re-booking, issuance and cancellation, and that the circular is effective as of June 29 until July 7. It confirmed that the decision will be implemented upon all bookings on the condition that guests visit one of its offices and request a modification or cancellation of their ticket within the given period of time.
Abdulrahim Mohammad, director of a tourist office, confirmed the extent of the cancelations, saying that around 500 confirmed bookings were canceled within 24 hours of the terrorist attack. He expects cancelations to increase within the next few days, with many Saudi tourists changing their destination to European countries such as Greece, Austria and Germany because of the decreasing value of the euro.
Anwar Khalid, a bookings’ officer at a tourist center, said that the incident has affected the plans of hundreds of Saudi passengers to Turkey, which is reflected in changes to their bookings for their summer vacations. He pointed out that he alone has canceled more than 300 bookings, while a number of passengers told him that they changed their minds about going to Turkey due to the security situation.
Khalid said that bookings to Turkey have declined sharply, which will affect the tourism industry in one the most well-liked holiday destinations among Saudis. He said that many hotels could resort to creating special offers and discounts to attract tourists in general and Saudis in particular. He revealed that the occupancy rates in Turkish hotels has also dropped dramatically and Saudi travel offices are receiving many cancellations for accommodation, too.
Ahmad Al-Qattan, director of a travel office, highlighted the significance of Turkey as a favorite travel destination among Saudi’s, with more than 300,000 Saudi tourists traveling to Turkey last year. However, he said that this figure is expected to decrease after the attack on Ataturk Airport.