People started heading straight to local travel agencies for Mecca and Medina
Posted on – 11:45 PM, Fri – 12 December 22
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Hyderabad: While Ramzan is still 100 days away, those hoping to perform the Umrah have started heading straight to local travel agencies with confirmation that they will be heading to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Every year about 10,000 Saudis visit Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah during Ramadan through travel agencies. Thousands more have relatives left in Saudi Arabia, and they went there directly.
According to Islamic scholars, Umrah is the pilgrimage to the two holiest places in Mecca and Medina and can be performed at any time of the year. “During Ramzan, people line up because they receive more blessings and rewards from Allah in this life and the next life,” said Maulana Hafiz Mohd Rizwan Qureshi, Khateeb, Mecca Mosque.
The offices of travel agencies and tour operators started flooding with Umrah pilgrims a week ago. “People want to book their trips in advance to avoid last-minute inconvenience. Despite the almost 50% increase in costs, the demand is huge and we expect more influxes in the coming days,” said tour operator Mohd Yaseen.
Ramzan’s first two-week pilgrimage costs around Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1.8 lakh per person, depending on flight and accommodation category. For the next two weeks of Ramzan, the price is yet to be determined as the demand will increase and the price will rise further.
Before the Covid pandemic, pilgrims paid anywhere between Rs 80,000 and Rs 1.2 lakh each. Mohd Abdul Razak Samad, chairman of the Association of Hajj and Umrah Group Organizers, said: “The situation has changed now. Airfares have almost doubled for the month and hotels have raised their charges. There is no business in Saudi Arabia, so the industry is trying to adjust to their losses.”
