Hyderabad: With an alarming rise in the cost of flight tickets and hotel accommodation in the Holy cities of Makkah and Madinah for the Umrah pilgrimage, Hyderabad’s travel agencies and tour operators have reported fewer bookings this year.
Prior to the holy month of Ramzan, Hyderabad’s tour operators experiences a surge in business as families seek services for the Umrah pilgrimage. The tour operators usually charge between Rs. 90,000 and Rs. 1, 20, 000 per person for the trip.
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“In Ramzan, flight prices, local transportation, food, accommodation, and foreign exchange see a significant increase. The rate per person this year is around Rs. 1.70 lakh. Due to the price escalation, people from Hyderabad are hesitant to go for the Umrah pilgrimage,” the president of Haj and Umrah Group Organizers Association, Mohd Abdul Razaq Samad told Siasat.com.
Tour operators also point out the fall in Umrah pilgrimage bookings due to the year-end or final examinations for students of schools and board exams of SSC, intermediate and degree courses which usually happen between March and April in Hyderabad. “This could be a reason why families postpone their plans,” said Mohammed Faiyaz who operates Al Mizaan Tours and Travels.
Around 10,000 people from Telangana visit Saudi Arabia through travel agencies during the holy month of Ramzan month to perform Umrah every year. A few thousand more whose relatives are staying in Saudi Arabia travel on a visit visa.
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According to Islamic scholars, Umrah is a pilgrimage to the two holiest places Makkah and Madinah and it can be done at any time of the year. “During Ramzan people line up because they earn more blessings and rewards from Allah, in this life and hereafter,” said Maulana Hafiz Mohd Rizwan Qureshi, Khateeb, Mecca Masjid.
