19 July 2003
DAMMAM, 19 July 2003. Fierce competition among Umrah tour operators has meant good news for pilgrims, who can now travel to both Makkah and Madinah and return for a mere SR90 per person.
While the summer holidays are also the peak season for Umrah, competition among the operators continues to rise. A typical special offer for SR90 includes the trip to Makkah and Madinah and one meal and a soft drink.
Packages offered by private operators suit every pocket. For example, an SR135 package also offers a stay in a hotel in Madinah and Makkah.
Transport industry sources say that the steep decline in rates is due to hundreds of buses lying idle.
“These packages at least compensate for our maintenance cost. There is no profit in them,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Khamis, who has rented his 12 buses to tour operators.
The majority of operators in this lucrative market are expatriates of Asian origin.
Buses are usually hired out for Umrah operations to help their owners pay the maintenance costs between Haj seasons. But competition has turned so fierce that the available buses are not enough, and as a result many operators are hiring buses from the neighboring states of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
Umrah operators say that the rates will change after Ramadan, going up as high as SR300 per person.
“It’s a simple supply and demand scenario,” Al-Khamis said.
Saudi Arabian Airlines has experienced a decline in numbers of Umrah passengers since the package tours started.
However, travel industry sources say that once private airlines start operating on the domestic circuit, the business will pick up as fares on domestic routes are bound to come down.
DAMMAM, 19 July 2003. Fierce competition among Umrah tour operators has meant good news for pilgrims, who can now travel to both Makkah and Madinah and return for a mere SR90 per person.
While the summer holidays are also the peak season for Umrah, competition among the operators continues to rise. A typical special offer for SR90 includes the trip to Makkah and Madinah and one meal and a soft drink.
Packages offered by private operators suit every pocket. For example, an SR135 package also offers a stay in a hotel in Madinah and Makkah.
Transport industry sources say that the steep decline in rates is due to hundreds of buses lying idle.
“These packages at least compensate for our maintenance cost. There is no profit in them,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Khamis, who has rented his 12 buses to tour operators.
The majority of operators in this lucrative market are expatriates of Asian origin.
Buses are usually hired out for Umrah operations to help their owners pay the maintenance costs between Haj seasons. But competition has turned so fierce that the available buses are not enough, and as a result many operators are hiring buses from the neighboring states of Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
Umrah operators say that the rates will change after Ramadan, going up as high as SR300 per person.
“It’s a simple supply and demand scenario,” Al-Khamis said.
Saudi Arabian Airlines has experienced a decline in numbers of Umrah passengers since the package tours started.
However, travel industry sources say that once private airlines start operating on the domestic circuit, the business will pick up as fares on domestic routes are bound to come down.
Saeed Haider Gulf Bureau
© Arab News 2003
