Bhopal News: West Asia Conflict Disrupts Haj, Umrah Travel; 30% Bookings Cancelled
· Free Press Journal
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The travel sector has taken a hit of nearly 30%, with uncertainty forcing many pilgrims to rethink their plans.
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People who had booked trips for Haj and Umrah, especially during the ongoing Ramzan season, are among the worst affected.
Several travellers have cancelled or postponed their journeys, while others are waiting for refunds as large amounts paid to travel agencies remain stuck following flight cancellations and disruptions.
Travel operators said that many people were hesitant to travel for Umrah due to fears of getting stranded amid the ongoing conflict. According to him, nearly 20-30% of pilgrims had cancelled their bookings, while several others remained uncertain about their travel plans.
One such case is that of Huma, a resident of Shahjahanabad in Bhopal, who had long dreamt of performing Umrah during the holy month of Ramzan with her father, an auto-rickshaw driver. To fulfil this wish, Huma and her family saved money with great difficulty, putting aside every rupee over several months.
After arranging nearly Rs 4 lakh, they paid the amount to a travel agency and the flight tickets were booked in advance. However, the tickets were later cancelled, leaving the family distressed. The journey could not take place and the money paid to the travel operator remains stuck.
Huma was scheduled to travel during the last Ashra (the final 10 days of Ramzan, considered one of the most important periods for performing Umrah.
Nihal Mansuri, a travel operator said the money of many travellers was stuck with travel agencies. Since flights were temporarily halted earlier, bookings made in Saudi Arabia were paid in advance and as those payments had already been deposited, travellers were now requesting refunds.
Mansuri said Umrah travel had declined significantly compared to previous months. According to Mansuri, his agency usually sent Rs 6,000 to 7,000 pilgrims every year, but the present situation was likely to ease the numbers this year.
Fall in bookings
There s a 30% decline in bookings. Currently, only those travellers who had pre-booked their trips and whose flights have not been rescheduled are going ahead with their journeys, while many others have withdrawn, leading to heavy cancellations. Most travellers are currently avoiding long-term planning and waiting for the situation to stabilise before booking long-haul international journeys. ,said Richa Bhadoria, location head, MakeMyTrip.
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