As the summer travel season begins, UAE residents are finding it increasingly challenging to secure Schengen visas due to a lack of appointment slots. This has led to high-end travellers opting for popular and expensive destinations in Asia and other visa-friendly countries, while budget-conscious residents are exploring more economical options in the region and the Indian subcontinent.
Travel Trends and Alternatives
With Schengen visa appointments scarce, those who applied months in advance can travel to Europe this summer. However, others must find alternative destinations. According to industry executives, Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Latvia, Slovenia, and the Saudi city of Abha have become popular choices this summer for those unable to obtain Schengen visas. Affluent UAE travellers are also considering Bali, Turkey, and the Maldives.
Raheesh Babu, COO of Musafir.com, highlighted that customers are now favoring destinations with hassle-free visa processes for UAE tourists. “We are seeing more tractions to Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Turkey, and CIS countries because appointments are easy. Most of the people, on average, are opting for four days and five nights stays,” Babu said.
Economic and Regional Travel Preferences
Babu also noted that high airfares to many expats’ home countries are prompting them to choose closer regional destinations like Salalah and Abha. Musafir.com has special arrangements with Schengen countries to facilitate visas for local travellers, promoting tourism in Europe.
The latest figures from IATA show a 9.7 percent year-on-year increase in demand for Middle Eastern airlines in May, surpassing a 9 percent capacity growth. Asian routes to the Middle East are particularly strong, now standing 32 percent higher than in 2019. The Europe-Middle East route also saw an increase in revenue passenger kilometres in April-May for two consecutive years, reversing a historical decline trend.
Reena Philip, General Manager for Operations at AirTravel Enterprises, stated that travellers are preferring destinations with visa-on-arrival or easy visa processes, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. “Sri Lanka has also picked up very well. Then there are traditional destinations such as Bali and Maldives. Japan was also popular but there are some e-visa issues now,” Philip explained.
Philip added that Schengen visa appointments are unavailable until September 2024 unless cancellations occur. This difficulty in securing appointments has led people to consider alternatives like Turkey, Bali, and Southeast Asian destinations due to better weather.
Avinash Adnani, Managing Director of Neo Travels and Tourism, noted, “Also, there is no problem in Turkey, Maldives, and Bali when it comes to halal food and visas. Most of these destinations are attracting high-end travellers from the UAE, while budget-conscious tourists are heading to Malaysia and Sri Lanka.”
