Emirates airline announced its highest ever profits this week. On Monday, the Dubai airline posted a record Dh17.2 billion ($4.7 billion) profit, up 63 per cent from Dh10.6 billion the previous year. Staff at the UAE airline are likely to be smiling from ear-to-ear after Emirates also announced it would be sharing the profits by paying employees a 20-week bonus, something that is well-deserved after the stress airline employees faced during the global pandemic. But as we approach what many travel experts are predicting will be one of the most expensive summers ever for travel – thanks to soaring airfares, inflated hotel rates and rising costs at restaurants – then maybe it’s time for airlines to shave a little off their airfares too.
For the past few years, we’ve heard that airfares are higher than they’ve ever been because of a lack of planes, rising fuel costs and an insatiable demand for travel in the post-Covid era. While all of that is true, if airlines are recording bumper profits, then perhaps the current sky high airfares are a tad overpriced.
As we roll ever closer to summer, many destinations are prepping for the high season by upping measures to ensure tourists behave. Kyoto in Japan has extended tourist bans in some private streets in the geisha district, while online bookings will soon be required for those hoping to trek Mount Fuji. In Fujikawaguchiko, a barrier is being installed to block the view of Mount Fuji and prevent clamouring crowds. In Spain, authorities are fed up of rowdy tourists running its streets late into the night, and the country has now restricted evening alcohol sales in many destinations, including the renowned party island of Ibiza.
Of course, there’s a reason that summer is peak travel season. As well as traditionally being a time when many people in the Northern Hemisphere have time off of work, it’s also when many destinations witness their sunniest days and showcase the best of nature. And it's the season when various festivals – from Glastonbury to Jazzablanca – take place. But if you don’t have travel plans for summer quite yet, don’t worry – there’s also something fabulous to be said for travelling off-season. Crowds are smaller, rates are lower and locals are often friendlier when they are not elbowing throngs of tourists out of the way on their daily commute.
In the UAE, summer is a popular time for travel as people flock overseas to escape rising temperatures. This year, with the Eid Al Ahda holidays falling just before the start of the season, many people are planning an earlier getaway. A new report from Skyscanner reveals that June 14 will be the most popular travel date for UAE travellers over the upcoming holidays, and that New York, Tokyo and Athens are trending, with the destinations seeing the highest year-on-year spikes in searches for June departures. Most travellers are also searching for getaways of one week or less, and if that’s your plan – then Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea destination may be one to consider.
Only a three-hour flight from the UAE, the kingdom's coastal destination is on track to become the world’s second largest International Dark Sky Reserve by the end of the year. It is also gearing up to open Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve later this month, with reservations open for stays at the luxury island resort from May 26. But if you’re hoping for a bargain break, think again. Room rates start from SAR9,250 per night, making the property Saudi Arabia’s most expensive hotel. That will put a dent in many holiday spends.
Until next time, stay safe, travel well and keep up to date with all the latest travel news and stories online.
DESTINATION SPOTLIGHT: Chennai, India
When the 2004 tsunami receded near Chennai, excited archaeologists swarmed newly revealed structures in the ocean sand, believing they may be the legendary underwater temples of the 1,200 year-old Pallava Kingdom. While that mystery remains, one of the temples sits above water, and the Unesco-listed site and tourist attraction has now been designated India's first green energy tourist attraction. Powered by solar energy and utilising reverse osmosis to provide visitors' drinking water, the temple is one of several ancient sites linked to the age-old Kingdom, a realm that Ronan O'Connell gets to grips with on a visit to Tamil Nadu.
TRAVEL NEWS THIS WEEK
TOP TIPS
Three of the world's best luxury train rides
- A new five-hour luxury train experience from Anantara whisks travellers across southern Vietnam from Na Trang to Quy Nhon aboard The Vietage. Timeless luxury is the order of the day on this elevated carriage which winds through the picturesque Vietnamese countryside. Transporting travellers to a world of glamour and nostalgia paired with the comforts of modern luxury, the curated carriage is also the setting for a sumptuous afternoon tea and complimentary head massages.
- If design is important to you, then the Belmond Andean Explorer should be on your train travel bucket-list. Stunning carriages ensure the breathtaking Andean landscape takes centre stage in South America's first luxury train, with the vistas beautifully complemented by natural textures, handcrafted pieces and woven textiles. Enjoy Peruvian cuisine as you pass natures wonders, from Lake Titicaca to the floating island of Uros, then venture to the open air observation car for the best views in the house.
- Follow in the footsteps of Indian royalty with a luxurious journey on Indian Railways Maharajas' Express train. A red carpet and traditional greeting awaits travellers boarding the five-star train, which has panoramic windows allowing passengers to take in the colourful and ever-changing scenes from Delhi, the Pink City of Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park and Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Carriages are inspired by royalty so expect rich tapestries and bold antiques while sumptuous restaurant cars serve some of the very best Indian cuisine.
THE LAST WORD
“About 60 per cent of our visitors are families. Between the cost of a hotel in Dubai and one in Ajman, they choose to stay here … because they can stay in a five-star hotel that’s a copy-paste of Dubai – nothing less, but cost-wise it might be 30 or even 40 per cent cheaper.”
Mahmood Alhashmi, director general, Ajman Department of Tourism Development.
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