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Although the booking has not been finalized, ticket prices have soared, especially for UAE flights from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
After the country announced that it was opening its doors to tourists from all countries starting today, the demand for visit visas and UAE air tickets has quadrupled.
However, airline officials and travel agencies are still waiting for the final standard operating procedures of the civil aviation authorities before they can start accepting visitor visa holders, especially those from India and Pakistan whose travel is restricted. A senior official of Air India, the national airline of India, also confirmed these reports to Khaleej Times.
Although the booking has not been finalized, ticket prices have soared, especially for UAE flights from India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The Federal Identity and Citizenship Administration and the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Agency (NCEMA) announced on Saturday that travelers from all countries can now apply for tourist visas, provided they have completed the world-approved Covid vaccine. Health Organization (WHO).
NCEMA stated that passengers with tourist visas must undergo a mandatory rapid PCR test at the airport upon arrival, and the previous regulations for unvaccinated (from restricted countries) are still valid.
Afi Ahmed, Managing Director of Smart Travels, said: “We are still waiting for a clear agreement with the airline. Having said that, I am sure that inbound tourist visa holders can enter the country from September 1st.
“We were overwhelmed by phone calls from people who wanted to travel. On Sunday, we received 300 to 400 inquiries, but because we didn’t get confirmation from the airline, we didn’t book as many tickets.”
Ahmed added that parents with unvaccinated children are also asking if their children can travel.
“In terms of visas, we received more than 200 applications. The one-way fare from India to the UAE is now 700 to 900 dirhams. Once we get closer to September 1, I think the price will increase by at least 900 to 2,000 dirhams. ,”He said.
Google Travel Trends on Sunday showed that the price of UAE flights from India and Pakistan was higher than usual. “This is where the demand is greatest,” said Raheesh Babu, group chief operating officer of online travel agency Musafir.com.
Babu said that they have been receiving several inquiries from passengers and they have been waiting for the opportunity to fly to the UAE.
“Some people have taken the artificial satellite vaccine. The artificial satellite is not a vaccine approved by the World Health Organization, but it has been approved by the UAE.
Unvaccinated passengers who took the third-country quarantine route are also asking if they can travel,” he said.
Holders of entry permits issued by Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates and individuals with expired residence visas are still calling for travel permits.
Kumar Pankaj, an entry permit holder who is waiting to join a new job location in Dubai, said: “I am worried that I will lose my current job opportunity. I need to travel as soon as possible. I am now considering applying for a visitor visa and travel.”
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
Danusha Gukulan
Dhanusha Gokulan is from India and has been working as a journalist for more than ten years. For Khaleej Times, she reports on NRI affairs, civil aviation and immigration issues. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism, economics and English literature from Mangalore University in 2008 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in contemporary media leadership and innovation at the American University in Dubai. In her spare time, she gets involved in singing/song writing, loves food, and is the mother of an over-enthusiastic Labrador Retriever. On her Twitter @shootsprintrite.
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