Stung by a steep hike in air fares, several holiday makers from Qatar are planning to travel by road to some neighbouring countries and spend the summer holidays there. The expensive summer fares and holiday packages being offered by travel agencies are unaffordable to many residents as well as nationals. Industry sources said yesterday that the special summer packages to all destinations cost at least 30 percent more compared to last year due to an increase in air fares. A survey conducted by Al Sharq daily showed that the high fares had affected the travel plans of about 90 percent of the respondents. Only six percent said the hike didn’t have any impact on them. “I was planning to travel to Malaysia with my family this year but now I have changed my plans as I cannot afford the air fares. We would travel to a neighbouring country in our car and thus save some money,” said Abdul Malik Mohammed Al Sheikh, a Qatari national. Fatima Ali, another national said her family had also dropped plans to travel by air. “We are now planning to travel to the UAE in our car and from there to Saudi Arabia.”

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