Outbound Travel Demand Surge During Eid Al-Adha

Doha, Qatar: Outbound travel demand from Qatar is showing strong recovery during Eid Al-Adha, with tourism experts reporting higher booking activity, stronger consumer confidence, and growing interest in regional and international leisure destinations compared with Eid Al Fitr earlier this year.

Speaking to The Peninsula, industry players and travelers said that the recent stabilisation in the region has contributed to a significant improvement in tourism confidence, leading to stronger outbound demand during the holiday season.

Marketing Manager at Victoria Travels, Ahmed Atta said outbound travel demand for this year's Eid Al-Adha is“noticeably stronger” than Eid Al Fitr. He said that travelers from Qatar are now planning earlier, staying longer, and focusing more on quality travel experiences rather than purely price-driven trips.

“Family holidays, short luxury escapes, and leisure-focused trips are performing particularly well, especially to destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Salalah, Dubai, Istanbul, Thailand, and selected European cities,” he said.

Ali Sabri, tourism expert and General Manager of Cleopatra Holidays, said Eid Al-Adha traditionally benefits from a longer holiday period, encouraging residents to plan extended vacations rather than short breaks.

He said,“This year, we are seeing stronger interest in destinations within the GCC, Europe, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central Asia.”

Sabri said many travellers had postponed trips earlier in the year due to geopolitical developments and uncertainty surrounding travel costs, but were now resuming leisure travel plans during the Eid Al-Adha holiday period.

Travel agencies and airlines have also reported increased last-minute bookings, reflecting improving consumer sentiment and greater willingness to travel internationally.

Market experts highlighted that Qatar's strong aviation connectivity continues to support outbound travel recovery. Sabri noted that Hamad International Airport and Qatar's aviation network provide travellers with reliable global access and operational stability, helping restore confidence among passengers.

“Our strategy has been centred around experience-driven travel rather than only discounts,” Atta said, noting that many packages include complimentary tours, airport transfers, attraction tickets, and flexible payment options.

“There is strong competition among travel companies to attract customers during Eid, which has created good value opportunities for travellers,” he added.

Several travellers from Qatar also emphasised that confidence in outbound travel has improved compared to earlier this year, with many families resuming holiday plans that had previously been postponed or cancelled.

“We could not travel during Eid Al Fitr because of the situation and our flights were cancelled,” said Doha resident Jane Dennis, who is travelling with her family to Istanbul this week.

“Now the atmosphere feels much more stable, and people are comfortable booking holidays again, she said.“There are many good package deals available now, especially for family trips. Airlines and hotels are offering flexible options, which gave us more confidence when booking,” she said.

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