UAE's hospitality sector eyes Eid Al Adha staycation boost with six-day break

Staycations by emirates’ residents will drive activity despite travel restrictions dampening regional demand, operators said as the UAE announced a four-day break, six with the weekend, for both public and private sectors.

UAE’s hospitality industry is anticipating a boost in activity during the upcoming six day Eid Al Adha holiday

UAE’s hospitality industry is anticipating a boost in activity during the upcoming six-day Eid Al Adha holiday, which was announced for both the public and private sectors on Sunday. Eid Al Adha will commence on Monday July 19 with employees back to work on the 25th. 

The forecasted increase in activity will be largley driven by staycations and domestic tourism, F&B and hotel operators told Arabian Business.

While those in the emirates would usually escape the summer heat around this time of year, global travel restrictions and arrival quarantines have made many opt to stay in the UAE instead.

“Staycations this Eid will not only boost the hospitality sector but also raise the morale of those who are unable to travel,” said Ramzy Abdul-Majeed, founder and managing director at Whissle Hospitality, a Dubai-based hospitality management and consulting company.

This comes in as Saudi Arabia banned travel to the United Arab Emirates last week following concerns over a “new mutated strain” of coronavirus.

Ramzy Abdul-Majeed, founder and managing director at Whissle Hospitality.

“It’s going to be a tough blow for the hotel industry especially since Saudi business over the holidays is big in the UAE. Everybody was looking forward for the Eid holidays because of that,” said Martie Daems, managing partner for Welcome to The UAE, a travel and tourism video-based platform.

“In general, however, we are optimistic. Over the past six months, we have focused on local tourism in the UAE. Much less residents are travelling compared to before the pandemic, so they are here in the destination spending money. We are all used to the heat, and love doing staycations, now more than ever,” she continued.

Martie Daems, managing partner for Welcome to The UAE.

Confidence in the hospitality industry has been further bolstered by the UAE’s successful rollout of coronavirus vaccines – latest figures from the Ministry of Health indicate that the distribution rate is 161.11 doses per 100 people – and the strict compliance to measures designed to curb the spread of the virus.

“Dubai’s global recognition has positioned it as both a holiday and business destination, and a six-day Eid break is much needed for people to step out within a safe environment while enjoying the most diverse forms of entertainment,” said Rabih Fakhreddine, CEO and founder of 7 Management, which operators nightclubs and restaurants in Dubai and Beirut.

Rabih Fakhreddine, CEO and founder of 7 Management.

“This is especially true when many are still hesitant to travel or there are some travel restrictions in other countries. The UAE has been one of the pioneers in implementing a highly successful vaccine rollout and giving us all a safe country to run our businesses and live comfortably. The industry is already booming and we foresee positive growth moving forward,” he explained.

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