Huge rise in travel ups travel agents fortunes

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KUWAIT CITY, June 29: According to informed sources, the sales of travel and tourism offices in Kuwait nearly quadrupled to reach about KD 112 million during the period from January 2022 to May 2022, compared to the same period in 2021 when it was nearly KD 23 million, reports Al-Rai daily. The sources explained that the number of travel agencies in Kuwait reached 430.

The increase in sales is due to the recovery of the travel and tourism sector, the abolition of restrictions that were imposed in most destinations around the world, and the thirst of both citizens and residents to travel after a long interruption.

Turkey, Dubai and various European countries are the destinations most requested by Kuwaitis, while most residents travel to their own countries to spend the summer vacation. The prices of airline tickets increased after the pandemic. The main reason behind the increase was the rise in oil prices because fuel constitutes the largest cost for airlines. The first five months of 2022 witnessed a huge increase compared to the same period in 2021, as sales of travel and tourism agencies jumped in January to KD 12.66 million, which is an increase by 1.16 times compared to the corresponding month in 2021.

Sales increased nearly 5.5 times in February 2022 to reach KD 22 million, compared to KD 3.36 million in February 2021. The biggest jump in the sales of travel and tourism agencies in the month of March was about 6.64 times, as revenues reached KD 25.49 million compared to KD 3.33 million in March 2021.

The sales also grew by 5.1 times in April to reach KD 24.27 million compared to KD 3.96 million in the same month in 2021, and by 3.2 times in May to reach KD 27.74 million, compared to KD 6.59 million in the same month in 2021. Meanwhile, the Deputy Director General of Planning and Projects Affairs and the official spokesperson for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Engr. Saad Al-Otaibi revealed to the daily that the number of passengers during the summer of 2022 returned to pre-COVID levels, achieving leaps that exceeded expectations, thanks to the return of life in the aviation market, especially after the lifting of travel restrictions.

He explained that the expected number of passengers between June 1 and September 30 is about six million (three million departing passengers and approximately three million arriving passengers). About 43,000 flights will transport such a large number of travelers to different destinations, as the number of departing flights will reach 22,000 while the incoming flights will reach about 21,000. Dubai, Turkey, London and Egypt are the most common destinations for travelers. The preparations for operations at the airport to accommodate this amount of flights and ensure they run smoothly are ongoing around the clock.

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