Holidaymakers from across the world will descend on the UAE this week as the school half-term begins.
Hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi reported a surge in bookings from both domestic and international guests.
Some airlines also put on extra flights to cater for the demand in passenger travel, as the global vaccination drive against Covid-19 has eased travel anxiety.
With the week-long half-term starting on February 14, hotels said they received bookings from a number of international markets including the UK, US, Saudi Arabia and Spain, and many were enticing guests with free room upgrades and discounts on activities.
Melia Desert Palm
Nathalie Cockayne, general manager at Melia Desert Palm hotel in Dubai, said the property, which has 39 rooms, was running at more than 90 per cent occupancy for the half-term week.
“The average length of stay for our half-term guests is four to five days,” she said.
“We have seen strong demand for next week.
“If comparing to this time in 2021, we’ve seen a lift by about 15 per cent in occupancy, on average.”
She said most guests were international travellers, mainly from the UK, US, Spain and Argentina.
Vinayak Mahtani, chief executive of bnbme, which operates holiday home lets in the UAE, said tourists from the UK are topping their bookings list at the moment.
50 things to do at Expo before it ends - in pictures
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Expo 2020 Dubai will finish on March 31, 2022. Here are 50 things to do at the world fair between now and then. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai. -
The Singapore Pavilion at Expo is a must-visit. Reuters -
From the inside and outside, Switzerland Pavilion is worth exploring. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The spectacle of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion is clearly visible from the outside. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The Spain Pavilion's striking architecture serves as a metaphor for the cultural links between Spain and the Arab world. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The fascinating past of ancient Egypt is the central focus of the country’s Expo 2020 Dubai pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
It's more than just about Thai food at Long Chim restaurant in Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Long Chim -
Alkebulan African Dining Hall at Expo 2020 Dubai is putting the focus on an as-yet untapped cuisine. Photo: Alkebulan African Dining Hall -
Sushiro is in the Japan Pavilion restaurant at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Bread Ahead, a British concept that specialises in doughnuts and gluten-free sourdough breads, is a must-try at Expo. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Burgers, such as this DM Burger, are among the popular offerings at Adrift Burger Bar in Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Josh Telles -
Children and grown-ups alike love the Expo 2020 Dubai Water Feature. Reuters -
There's an impressive light show every evening at Al Wasl Dome, the world's largest 360-degree projection dome. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Jubilee Park is where all the best performances take place. Victor Besa / The National -
The Expo 2020 entry portals were designed by British architect Asif Khan. -
Al Wasl Dome is visible from almost every room in Rove Expo 2020, the only hotel at the site. -
Take a look inside Expo 2020's Sports, Fitness and Wellbeing Hub and its various facilities. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
A bike tour around Expo 2020 Dubai is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Victor Besa / The National -
At Emirates Airlines’ futuristic pavilion, visitors get the chance to design their own aircraft. Wam -
Go up 55 metres on this 360-degree observation tower and enjoy sweeping views of Expo 2020 on Garden in the Sky. Pawan Singh / The National -
The Expo 2020 passport is a must-have for visitors. Go around the pavilions and collect those passport stamps before it's too late. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Kaleidoscope presents Dodecalis Luminarium by Architects of Air: a dazzling immersive art installation at Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Created by British artist Mat Collishaw and curated by the cultural agency Futurecity, the work 'Equinox' has been commissioned by Expo 2020 Dubai specifically to be shown in Terra. Photo: Mahmoud Khaled / Expo 2020 -
'A point in time' by Khalil Rabah enlarged 11th-century implements used for determining location. Look closely: a small black circule below the gold-coloured spindle shows Dubai on the map the objects create. Photo: Thorsten Arendt -
'Garden' by Hamra Abbas, the artist's marble recreation of a garden, used five tonnes of lapis lazuli. Photo: Roman Mensing -
Faissal El Malak and Alia bin Omair's 'Nahel' fountain features motifs of humankind, nature and technology connecting in harmony. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
With popular restaurants in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the Lebanese spot Iris Lounge has become a firm favourite at Expo 2020. Antonie Robertson / The National -
One of the liveliest late-night spots at Expo 2020 is, unsurprisingly, The Irish Village at Jubilee Park. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Expo 2020’s resident sports lounge Garden on 1, found at the Mobility District, offers regular themed nights such as curry night and quiz night, regular drinks deals, and shows the biggest sporting events. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Jubilee Mixology bar overlooks Al Wasl Dome, which features the world’s largest 360-degree projection surface. Pawan Singh / The National -
Everyone’s a local at this Australian corner, which has proved a firm favourite with Expo 2020 visitors. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Once a month, experience a Khaleeji-led jam session at Jubilee Stage in the form of Jalsat Nights. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Specially created for Expo 2020 Dubai by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, the all-female Firdaus Orchestra features musicians from 23 nationalities across the Arab world, with some as young as 15. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The monthly Infinite Nights concert series takes place at Al Wasl Plaza and is streamed to a global audience. Past acts that have performed so far include Kadim Al Sahir, Nancy Ajram and Ragheb Alama, Alicia Keys and the Black Eyed Peas, with two more to come. -
Emirati composer Mohammed Fairouz has composed music for the Al Wasl Opera. Every week or two, a student choir takes to the Jubilee Stage for a series of 30-minute concerts where they perform extracts from Al Wasl Opera. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
A 10-minute light show takes place daily at the China Pavilion. It's a must-see. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Hammour House is a community art project that is popular among children. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
A child plays at Latifa's Adventures playground, a great spot for families during a visit to Expo 2020 Dubai. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
The indoor slide at the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai is very popular among children and families. -
No visit to Expo 2020 Dubai is complete without interacting with a robot. Victor Besa / The National -
The carousel in the Mobility District at Expo 2020 Dubai is a great stop for children. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
An exhibition focusing on the work of French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier will open at Expo on February 28. AFP -
The know-how of the Piemonte region will be highlighted in a showcase at the Italian pavilion. Photo: Andrea Rapuzzi -
The Colombia Pavilion will host a multimedia installation called The Infinitos. Antonie Robertson / The National -
Noura Al Kaabi, Minister for Culture and Youth, at the Kosovo Pavilion, home to a permanent collection of artworks that traces the country’s culture and history. Photo: Ministry of Culture and Youth -
The New Zealand Pavilion features a digital Art Wall curated by the country’s national museum. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
At the Swiss pavilion, you’re instantly transported to the Alps thanks to an indoor mountainscape. AP Photo -
Experience indoor rain at the Netherlands Pavilion. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
Don't miss the Sky Market at the Singapore Pavilion, an open, multipurpose deck. Khushnum Bhandari / The National -
There's a ball pit and swings at the Germany Pavilion. Photo: Expo 2020 Dubai -
Robot bartender Yanu makes mocktails at the Estonia Pavilion. Photo: Estonia Pavilion
“We have seen an increase in demand from people travelling from the UK for the half-term break, but we have seen an increase for staycations too,” he said.
“For Dubai residents, we are seeing a lot of demand for our glamping set-ups.
“I think the local residents have been there and done that in terms of resort stays and they are more inclined to try something different, yet luxurious.”
For apartment stays, he said the most popular areas were Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Village Circle and Jumeirah Beach Residence. Glamping bookings have soared in Al Qudra desert, as well as the beach and wadi areas in Ras Al Khaimah.
In Abu Dhabi, Jatinder Singh, director of sales and marketing at the W Hotel on Yas Island, which has 499 rooms, said school breaks were always a busy period.
“We have been witnessing a steady pickup this year and the hotel is at a high 80 per cent occupancy rate,” he said.
“We anticipate higher occupancy leading as the school midterm break starts.
“We do have a stay and play offer online on the hotel website, which gives guests discounts to book rooms plus theme park tickets to Ferarri World, Warner Brothers and Yas Waterworld for the holidays.”
Mr Singh said the majority of guests making bookings at the hotel were from the GCC and Europe, with UAE residents also booking staycations.
Earlier this month, data from travel agency site Skyscanner showed that Dubai was the most popular destination for British holidaymakers in 2022, before Spain, Tenerife and Malaga.
Bookings made in January to Dubai from the UK were up 49 per cent from the same month in 2020.
A representative from flydubai said school holidays were always a busy time for flights, and the pre-planned schedules reflected this.
“This is a popular time for travel for our passengers and our published flight schedule factors in public holidays, national days and schools breaks,” she said.
“We expect healthy demand for travel to holiday destinations like Colombo, Istanbul, Maldives, Salalah and Tbilisi.
“Dubai continues to be the preferred holiday destination as we see more UAE residents opting to welcome friends and family in our city for the holiday period, which is reflected in the inbound traffic from around our network.”
The Emirates website shows that the airline is also operating an extra daily service on its Dubai-London Heathrow route.
Seven A380 flights will depart Dubai for Heathrow, with the additional service scheduled to take off at 3.15pm from Dubai International Airport.
To travel to Dubai from the UK, passengers must present a negative PCR test result taken within 48 hours of departure.
Children aged under 12 and passengers with moderate to severe disabilities are not required to take a PCR test to travel to the UAE.
The rules for UK travel are the same for Abu Dhabi. Whether you are a UAE resident or a tourist, you will need to present a negative PCR test result taken within 48 hours of departure.
If you are fully vaccinated and flying to Abu Dhabi, you must be tested on arrival in Abu Dhabi airport — after baggage collection. There is no need to quarantine but since the UK was removed from Abu Dhabi's Green List, you must take another PCR test on day four and day eight.
