How is Saudi’s travel sector responding to the Ramadan umrah peak season?
Photo: Muslims perform Omrah around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, May 25, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
Hotels and airlines are dealing with one of the busiest times of the year in Mecca.
Last year, Ramadan was the second most popular umrah month for international pilgrims. 946,265 arrived for the pilgrimage during the fasting month in 2017 compared to 1,185,195 in Rajab, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GaStat). For domestic pilgrims, Ramadan was the top season last year, with 53.6 percent of nearly 12.5 million performing the pilgrimage in the holy month, according to GaStat’s most recent umrah survey.
In response to the higher seasonal demand, this year Saudi Arabia’s national carrier increased its trips and added new routes.
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