23rd March, 2013
Asian arrivals helping set new Umrah record.
Jeddah - A large number of Umrah pilgrims arriving from
Asian countries this week are about to set a new record. The Ministry of Haj
has indicated that more than 6 million pilgrims are likely to come for Umrah
this year, up from 5.5 million last year. Hotels in Makkah have a capacity of
1.4 million pilgrims a month.
The season opened on Dec. 14 last year, and will close on
Aug. 22.
Airlines operating flights to Jeddah are reportedly fully
booked for Umrah pilgrims and as a result expatriates in the Kingdom are finding
it difficult to get seats. Almost all airlines have raised airfares to Jeddah
by nearly 25 percent, according to figures posted by various airlines.
Despite recent efforts by the government to streamline the
procedure at airports, some Umrah operators are not following procedures. This
year, the ministry announced a new system for foreign travel agents to provide
contract details of pilgrims. Pilgrims, however, are arriving without stickers
containing that information on their passports.
Pilgrims are also complaining that upon arrival they are
clueless about their Umrah companies or tour operators. “This is continuing to
result in chaos, ” said one pilgrim as he arrived at King Abdulaziz
International Airport in Jeddah.
The ministry insists that Umrah companies provide proper
accommodations and transport for pilgrims. Over 200 Umrah companies were closed
down for violating regulations.
The post-Umrah tourism packages are currently only for
pilgrims from the US, Europe, Malaysia and Singapore and a few other countries.
Meanwhile, costs of Umrah packages are rising in Pakistan, India and Turkey.
By: Irfan Mohammed
Copyright@arabnews.com
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