Prices of Umrah packages soar up to 50 percent
MUKHRIZ MAT HUSIN & MUHAMMAD AMNAN HIBRAHIM09 Jan 2023 09:19am
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Umrah is the term given for a short pilgrimage to Mecca, as compared to the annual Hajj gathering.
The Malaysian Umrah & Hajj Travel Agencies Association (PAPUH) president Datuk Seri Razali Mohd Sham said the hike in prices started somewhere in November last year, following the increase in Umrah pilgrims after Saudi Arabia allowed the use of tourist visas for the purpose of pilgrimage.
He explained tha the increase in cost was largely due to expensive airline tickets, hotel prices and the visa documentation cost set by Saudi Arabia.
" Previously flight tickets cost around an average of RM2,300, but now it has increased to between RM4,800 to RM5,000. That means an increase of approximately 109 per cent. As for the visa cost it has increased from RM160 to RM700, an increase of approximately 337 per cent.
"Accommodation used to be an average of RM120 per night now it's around RM300, so it's a 150 per cent increase. All of these costs have caused the average Umrah package to increase by at least 50 per cent." he said when contacted by Sinar Harian on Sunday
Razali said for the economy package, it is estimated that the price will increase from RM4,880 to RM7,880 which is a 61 per cent increase for pilgrims travelling during non peak days, while for the school holidays, it prices can be from RM5,880 to RM8,880 which is a 51 per cent increase.
As for the VIP package, he said on average, it will increase from RM15,000 to RM22,500 which is about a 50 percent increase.
According to him, thet increase in costs usually has to be borne by the pilgrims as per the agreement.
He said in general, the increase in the cost for the packages is unavoidable because it involves external factors that cannot be controlled by the umrah service provider.
However, he expects that the price of Umrah services in Mecca and Medina will somewhat go back to how it was previously after the Hajj season this year.
Razali said the only measure that can be taken to reduce the prices of packages is to increase the number of flights from Malaysia to Saudi Arabia to help lower the current flight ticket prices.
"Our national airlines such as Malaysia Airlines (MAS) may be able to increase the number of flights to Saudi Arabia.
"The government may also ask other airlines to add flights to Malaysia," he explained.
Meanwhile The Malaysian Association of Tourism and Travel Agents (MATTA) have warned pilgrims that travel agencies are expected to increase the price of umrah packages at the last minutebefore prospective umrah pilgrims depart for the Holy Land.
According to MATTA Hajj and Umrah vice president Mohd Azri Abd Razak the increase in prices has been caused by a hike in hotel prices in the cities of Mecca and Medina at the moment.
Azri said this is one of the major reasons that the price of the umrah packages had to be increased as the travel agencies now need to cover the increase in hotel fees.
"This price increase is believed to be caused by high demand in hotels, especially in the city of Madinah.
"It follows the increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims around the world when governments started to reopen their borders during the Covid- 19 recovery period.s
"It's not just hotel prices that are increasing, but transport and flight ticket prices are also becoming more burdensome, especially during the peak season," he said in a statement on Sunday.
He said the matter is bound to upset pilgrims who have previously secured their packages at a lower price.
Azri went on to explain that travel agencies are also facing difficulties to secure bookings even though the full payment has been made to the hotel.
"With the current situation and confusion, MATTA asks all Umrah pilgrims to be patient and understand the uncertainty of the situation that is happening in Medina and Mecca.
"We do not want pilgrims to solely blame travel agencies for the situation in Medina and Mecca for the sudden price increase in Umrah packages ," he said.
Meanwhile, he said, MATTA has also received complaints from pilgrims on the difficulty of bringing zamzam water home.
"This problem has been mentioned and brought to the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) for further clarification," he said.
