Eid break holidays suffer from lack of demand

Travel agents are predicting that holiday bookings over the Eid break will suffer badly this year, due to its timing in early September - when many travellers have just returned from their summer holidays in time for the start of the school year.

"UAE nationals returned [from holiday] earlier than expected as they prefer spending Ramadan at home, and expats visiting their home countries are not due back until mid-September which has impacted the Eid holiday traffic," said Mansoor Pasha, manager retail and leisure, Al Futtaim Travel.

Davinder Kaur, destination development manager, Emirates Holidays agreed that while bookings had so far been low for the coming Eid Al-Fitr break, travellers were waiting for second Eid in November to book a holiday.

 “We are still monitoring the figures for Eid but they are suggesting so far that this Eid will not be that popular.

"This year we expect the second Eid [in November] which is normally the quieter one to be very busy. This year we are pushing some less traditional destinations for Eid such as Bali and Penang," she said.

The Eid Al-Fitr holiday for the UAE's private sector has been called for Friday and Saturday according to a ministerial circular. While the Eid Al Fitr holiday for federal ministries and departments will start from Wednesday 8th September until  12th September.