Expo 2020 Dubai: Travel agents roll out tailor-made packages

Dubai - Travel agents curating special Expo packages to cater to the demand

Dubai is bracing for a huge influx of tourists from around the globe as the 'world’s greatest show' takes off on October 1.

The emirate is expected to receive over 25 million local and foreign visits for Expo 2020 Dubai during its six month run till March 31, 2022. Many agents who are authorised ticket resellers for the event, are curating special Expo packages to cater to the demand.

Musafir.com is one of the many authorised resellers, and group chief operating officer Raheesh Babu said the online travel agency has many packages in the pipeline.

“We have created a couple of packages, for example four nights and five days so that people can visit and experience Dubai, and also attend the Expo for one day,” Raheesh told Khaleej Times.

“The pricing of the packages depend on flight dependability. Excluding the airfare, a package which includes a four-star hotel stay for a small family could cost an average Dh2,000 to Dh3,000, including the sight-seeing,” he added.

Focus on families

Babu said that his company is mainly focussing on families.

“We have created family packages and we are focusing on the Indian market. We have also been getting inquiries from Indians living in Qatar,” said Babu.

Raheesh expects a spike in demand for Expo packages mid-October, once airfares drop.

“We are expecting it to pick up in the second week of October. It is the beginning of the Expo and one has to factor in the climate. Another factor is that airfares are high from India at the moment and will be so until around October 10. After that airfares are expected to dip,” said Babu.

“As of now, we are getting inquiries, and tourists are waiting for the airfares to drop further so that they can travel mid-October or towards the end of October. Hotel prices are expected to increase by 60 to 75 per cent at the start of October,” he added.

james@khaleejtimes.com