Advanced flight bookings to airports around the holy city of Mecca ahead of this year’s Hajj have increased from Asia, Europe and Oceania, according to research by Travelport. According to the analysis, India (44,611) had the second highest number of bookings in the world, and the highest in Asia.
According to the analysis, Asia recorded the greatest growth in flight bookings made through GDS to airports around Mecca this year in terms of volume, with bookings up by 11,284 (+5%). On a country level, the greatest growth came from Bangladesh, with bookings up by +171 per cent (13,906). The South Asian country is one of five (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia and Tunisia) benefiting from the Mecca Route initiative, a new service offering immigration pre-clearance for pilgrims at their points of embarkation.
Globally, Egypt recorded the greatest number of flight bookings through a GDS out of any country this year (49,477). The United Arab Emirates recorded the second highest rise in Asia and the Middle East, up 17 per cent (3,981); followed by Qatar, up 217 per cent (3,278), a country where pilgrims can now register for their Hajj using dedicated ‘electronic gates’.
Damian Hickey, Global Vice President and Global Head of Air Travel Partners at Travelport, said: “There are many things that influence the decision to travel, especially when it comes to something as personal as performing the Hajj. For some, economic conditions and increased allocations from the government in Saudi Arabia could make this year the ideal time for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Others may be looking at their situation and thinking that it might be better to wait; this diversity of push and pull factors was certainly evident in the travel trends that we’ve seen around the globe.”
Sandeep Dwivedi, Chief Operating Officer at InterGlobe Technology Quotient (ITQ) stated that, “The Hajj pilgrimage is a once in a lifetime custom of spiritual significance for the Islamic community of the world and we are delighted that the second-highest share of global bookings have been made on our platform from India, a nation that values culture and traditions. We are thankful to our customers for using our solutions & services, and our teams will continue to provide 24×7 support in their journey of growth.”
