After the outbreak of war between Iran and Israel and the United States, tour operators and airlines have been working to bring back tourists from the area. This weekend, stranded Swedes also flew home on a plane chartered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Less noticed is that at the same time, several operators continue to offer trips to Dubai in the near future.
Via Apollo's website, TT could book a week's stay at a hotel in Dubai for two people, departing on May 1. However, the booking notes that there are only nine places left at the moment.
Yes, it is something that we are constantly looking at and evaluating how far in advance we should stop sales, says Martina Krantz at Apollo's press office about the possibility of booking trips.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against travel
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised against non-essential travel to the United Arab Emirates since February 28, and the advice remains in effect until further notice.
Isn't it a bit strange that you are offering trips at this time?
Yes, it may seem strange, but we are constantly making an assessment and will of course look at whether we should remove that destination completely for the time being.
According to Martina Krantz, the current approach has been in place since the outbreak of the conflict because there was no travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, if the advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains when it is time for departure, the trip itself will be cancelled and the traveler will be refunded.
Anyone who wants to go as early as April can choose Tui, which has available trips departing on April 7.
Comfortable vacation
"Here you will find everything you could want for a comfortable vacation, several pools and restaurants, spas and activities," the tour operator writes, among other things, in its description of the destination.
"We have stopped all sales on our trips to the Middle East for the rest of March. In theory, you can book from April 1," says Dian Valencia, communications manager at Tui.
Isn't it strange that you offer trips based on the external situation?
We do not carry out trips as long as there is a travel advisory. In practice - if there is a travel advisory on April 1st, the trip will not take place.
Competitor Ving has also chosen to completely remove trips to the area, and there are currently no booking options.
We follow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' travel advice to the letter, it is a sacred thing for us and then it is not possible to book, says Claes Pellvik, Head of Communications at Ving.
It is currently also possible to book regular flights with, for example, Emirates and SAS to Dubai. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' advice states that it "does not include transit at the airports" in Dubai.
