Tag Archives: 80 percent bookings

As the countdown starts for the greatest football event of the year in the region, FIFA 2022 to be held from November to December this year, the accommodation in Qatar has already been reserved. The last quarter of the year will definitely see an increase of bookings in the GCC region alone. It was stated by professionals in the travel fraternity that Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi will be looking at some increased bookings and revenue in terms of accommodation. Shantanu S. Mehta, General Manager, Orient Tours CWT M&E, UAE, Sultanate of Oman and State of Qatar reiterated, “Our partners in Doha have informed us that 80% of the accommodation inventory has been blocked by the FIFA supreme committee and the remaining 20% can be released to the general public only after every individual booking receives their approval. In order to get this approval, local travel entities need to submit the complete itinerary for every applicant including a copy of the match ticket and arrival/departure flight information. After receiving approval from the FIFA supreme committee, visitors need to apply online for a special permit called the Hayya Card which will be granted to visitors who have a confirmed match ticket and accommodation. Apparently, during the FIFA World Cup tournament only visitors with a Hayya card can enter Qatar. Both Fly Dubai/Emirates and Etihad have announced multiple daily flights between their respective hubs and Doha. Whereas Fly Dubai launched a ‘AED 975 onwards’ promotion recently, Etihad is believed to be selling at AED 3,500 plus. Etihad senior members have verbally advised that a 45-minute quick departure process from check-in to boarding is being planned for passengers without check-in luggage. Many luxury hotels in …

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