National airlines and travel agencies have offered deals for holidays in international destinations at attractive and competitive prices, following the end of the holiday season and peak travel in December 2025. These offers are for bookings made in the second half of January and for travel until the first week of March 2026. Two managers from travel agencies stated that these offers aim to boost travel demand to certain destinations after the peak in December last year. They explained that such offers are customary during this time of year and include air tickets, accommodation, and additional services at promotional prices, which depend on availability and timing. They told 'Emirates Today' that these offers primarily encourage short trips, stressing the importance of early booking, reading the terms, and flexibility in travel dates to get the best value and avoid unexpected costs. In detail, national airlines and travel agencies announced holiday deals for bookings in the second half of January, with travel until the first week of March next year. The offers are focused on selected, relatively nearby destinations, as well as stops in Europe and Southeast Asia. Prices vary by company. According to the data, holiday package prices start from around 1,500 dirhams for relatively nearby destinations in Eastern Europe and Western Asia for three nights, including air tickets and hotel accommodation. Offer prices to the Armenian capital of Yerevan start from around 1,500 dirhams for a three-night stay, to the Azerbaijani capital of Baku from 1,649 dirhams, to the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek from 1,950 dirhams, and from the same price to the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. As for Southeast Asian destinations, offer prices to the Thai city of Krabi start from 2,799 dirhams, and to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur from around 2,800 dirhams. Offer prices to the Thai capital of Bangkok start from 2,900 dirhams for a three-night stay, to Zanzibar from 2,900 dirhams, and to Colombo in Sri Lanka from 3,000 dirhams, while packages to the Maldives reach 4,499 dirhams, to the Russian capital of Moscow 2,700 dirhams, and around 3,500 dirhams to the Czech capital of Prague. According to the offers, all mentioned packages include economy class air tickets and accommodation in three and four-star hotels for three nights. Prices vary depending on the selected destinations and are subject to availability and hotel category. Some packages, in addition to air tickets and hotel rooms, include airport transfer services. The packages currently available for booking allow customers to upgrade hotel rooms and add tours and other activities for an additional fee. In turn, the General Manager of 'Al Awadi Travel', Amin Al Awadi, said: 'Following the end of year-end holidays and the peak travel period we witnessed in December last month, airlines and travel agencies have begun to offer special deals on holiday packages. This step aims to stimulate travel during the post-peak period and attract new segments of travelers with promotional prices and flexible options.' Al Awadi added that such offers are common in the market during this time of year, as companies resort to them after periods of high demand to maintain occupancy rates and stimulate demand during relatively quiet seasons, specifically to some destinations that heavily rely on tourism. He explained that these packages include air tickets and hotel accommodation, and sometimes additional services like transfers or tours, which gives travelers better value compared to separate bookings. He noted that the prices shown are introductory and subject to availability, and as demand increases or the travel date approaches, they start to rise gradually. Therefore, timing plays a crucial role. Meanwhile, the CEO of 'Dubai Link' group, Hayem Al Haj Ali, said: 'The current offers encourage what is known as 'quick getaways' or long weekend holidays, which have become a common pattern among residents.' He pointed out that these offers are part of a strategy to boost demand for travel to specific destinations. Al Haj Ali mentioned that 'the real benefit from these offers requires awareness from the traveler, not just being attracted to the low price.' He explained that early booking is the first key to benefiting from post-peak offers, but more importantly, carefully reading the terms and conditions, especially regarding cancellation and modification policies, additional fees, specified travel periods, and the services and benefits included in the package. He indicated that some offers are tied to specific dates, meaning flexibility in choosing travel dates increases the chances of getting the best price. He noted that 'planning travel in advance, even for a short holiday, helps avoid unexpected surprises and gives the traveler a smoother experience in terms of budget and organization'. Holiday package prices start from around 1,500 dirhams for relatively nearby destinations in Eastern Europe and Western Asia for 3 nights, including air tickets and hotel accommodation.
