Saudi hotel occupancy seen to grow as Umrah pilgrims arrive during Ramadan
With the variety of Umrah visas provided by embassies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this year reaching 5.67 million with more than 5 million currently having actually entered the Kingdom, hospitality experts and local travel operators are seeing a rise in travel bookings to Makkah and Madinah in 2016 and are anticipating a further increase over the coming weeks to the end of Ramadan.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah just recently announced that Umrah pilgrims this year might reach up to 7 million, with more than 1.2 million coming from Egypt followed by more than 900,000 visas issued to pilgrims from Pakistan and around 655,000 visas issued to Indonesians. The Ministry noted that this year has actually already taped a 5 per cent rise in Umrah pilgrims-- a figure that is anticipated to skyrocket 30 percent by 2020.
Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO, Elaf Group, said: "The travel and tourist sector is feeling the heat as the volume of Umrah pilgrims hurrying to book check outs to the Kingdom has continued to swell over the past months. The upcoming summertime vacations which also accompany the Holy Month of Ramadan have actually kept travel operators really hectic at this time. We are anticipating even brisker company towards completion of the month."
"In line with our dedication to support the tourist sector - especially spiritual tourist - the Elaf Group has stepped up its efforts to guarantee our personnel is well-prepared to deal with the needs of the pilgrims and without delay supply them with the services and convenience they intend to experience at this time-- taking pleasure in a soothing stay amidst the religious atmosphere in our hotels in Makkah and Madinah. Our Group has continually been broadening its services and variety of rooms to accommodate the requirements of our clients who can avail of unique packages and activities for the whole family as they seek a meaningful Umrah experience, especially during Ramadan, Bin Mahfouz concluded.
