UAE summer travel: Residents face US, EU visa issues, choose Far East destinations

UAE residents are opting to travel to Far Eastern countries for summer vacations. Especially, those who are unable to obtain visas to the US or Schengen countries.

Industry executives have said that travelling has become a major challenge for families that intend to travel to cooler climates in Europe and the US in the next couple of months due to visa delays. Hence, many of them are opting for Bali and other Indonesian cities, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

“There is a lot of demand for outbound travel but visas are a major hassle to Europe and US. The earliest available appointments for visas are at the end of July and the first week of August. Then, it takes another 15 days to process the visa. It’s possible if someone wants to fly to the US in the last week of August because, by then, he or she will be able to get the visas,” says Avinash Adnani, managing director of Pluto Travels.

“People have the option to visit destinations in the Far East like Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and East European countries. But these countries are 4-5 day destinations and people want to go for longer breaks like two weeks or more. So it’s going to be a challenge for residents to travel in the next couple of months due to visas and travel rush,” added Adnani.

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