UAE Residents Plan Summer Holidays Early Amid Visa Delays, Rising Travel Cost

After facing setbacks in recent years, UAE residents are planning their summer holidays earlier than ever, driven by a fear of missing out as visa delays, soaring travel packages continue to pose challenges.

Among those who missed out on travel last summer was Amit Jain, a gold and diamonds trader based in Dubai Gold and Diamond Park.

“Travelling during the summer is a must for our family," Amut said. "We have been planning a Europe trip for the last three years, and our children and my brothers' children have been eagerly asking us to book the tickets since last year.”

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However, the plan fell apart last year when visa approvals did not come through for everyone.“My brother's family and mine usually travel together, but only I received the visa and the rest didn't. Because of that, we decided to cancel the trip,” he said.

Learning from that experience, the family has started preparations much earlier this year.“We moved quickly and, thankfully, managed to get a visa appointment by the end of March,” added Jain.

Travel agents told Khaleej Times that early enquiries for summer trips are now coming in especially for Europe, where Schengen visa appointment delays and shortages have become a concern.

According to agents the shift is most noticeable among families with school-going children and frequent travellers who previously faced long waiting times, visa rejections or inflated travel costs in recent summers. Instead of waiting until spring, some residents are now initiating travel plans as early as January to secure visas, flights, and hotel bookings.

Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism said Europe continues to dominate early travel enquiries.“Many people who missed their holidays last year don't want to repeat the same experience,” he said.

“Schengen visas were a big issue. Appointments were hard to secure, and even those who applied early didn't always receive visas on time. Because of that, we are seeing residents plan several months ahead now.”

While some travellers are nor finalising bookings immediately, Subair noted that they want clarity early in the process.“They want to know when to apply for visas, what documents to prepare and which dates are safer. Even blocking leave from work early has become common,” he said.“People don't want to wait till the last moment and then realise there are no appointments or that flights are too expensive.”

Europe remains the top destination for early planners, particularly countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland, and Spain. Travel agents also reported growing interest in multi-country itineraries, which require careful planning and confirmed bookings.

Mir Wasim Raja, manager at International Travel Services (ITS), said visa availability remains a key concern for travellers planning Europe trips this summer.

“Schengen visa appointment slots are already fully booked until the month of March. For a few countries, limited appointments are available in April, but options are very tight,” he said.

He warned tharesidents who are still waiting may risk missing out again.“If people want to travel to Europe during the summer, they need to start the process now,” said Raja.“Delaying visa applications will make it very difficult to travel during the peak holiday period.”

With strong demand and peak-season travel costs expected to remain high, agents said early planning is fast becoming the norm, especially for destinations with strict visa requirements.“People just don't want to miss out again,” said Subair.

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