(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- Residents weighing various travel options in view of the early announcement of long Eid holidays may want to consider visiting Qatar. A resort in Qatar is offering Omanis free stay during the first three days of Eid al Fitr.
'Dearest Omanis and Kuwaitis Eid al Fitr Mubarak, it is our great pleasure to invite you during your holiday to #Qatar and stay #complimentary with us in #zubarah #hotel,' said one Facebook advertisement by Qatar's Zubarah Hotels & Resorts.
Speaking to Muscat Daily, a senior official from Zubarah Boutique Hotel, Doha, said, 'It is true we are offering free hotel stay for Omanis and Kuwaitis in the first three days of Eid. Our offer includes free breakfast too.'
The official said the hotel has 45 rooms. 'We will be offering 22 rooms to Omanis and 22 rooms for Kuwaitis. Right now we are kind of fully booked but for those who want to book can do so on waiting list as there are some cancellations because of expensive tickets,' he said.
It is believed that hotels in Doha are aiming to counter the sharp fall in bookings after governments of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt banned their citizens from travelling to Qatar as part of the move to sever ties with the country.
Sulaiman Mohammed, who is keen to visit Qatar, said, 'Despite being told by the hotel that they are fully booked, I am still interested to visit Qatar. I will just have to book on waiting list. However, tickets are quite expensive.'
With the longer holidays beginning from next weekend, travel agencies too have been getting a number of enquiries regarding the genuineness of the Qatar resort offer. Eid al Fitr holidays for both private and government sector establishments will be from June 24 to 29. Work will resume on July 2 which means nine days off for many.
'The majority of Gulf visitors to Qatar were from Saudi Arabia prior to the recent rift. This rift will lead to a huge drop in hotel occupancy in Qatar during the Eid holidays, usually a peak season,' said a travel consultant requesting anonymity. Saleh al Mahrooqy, a private sector employee appreciated the early announcement.
'It is good that the government has announced Eid holidays early. Now, we can plan our holidays well in advance. The announcement to pay salaries by June 20, too will help me plan better,' he said. Meanwhile, Oman Air has confirmed that it has not raised air fares to or from Doha. 'Fares have not been increased to or from Doha, unlike what has been circulated on some social media accounts.'
The airline said with the increase in demand on the Doha route lower fares had been sold out and only the higher fares were available on many flights. 'This is a normal practice which is automated and followed by airlines worldwide,' Oman Air tweeted on Saturday.
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