Is it time for tourism in Saudi Arabia perhaps? Are the Chinese taking over the market as travellers? And what does it cost to watch the World Cup in Russia? This week we have exotic travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. In addition, we can tell you that many Swedes like to escape the country over Christmas and that the supply of flights to the United States is increasing.
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So many people want to flee the country for Christmas
Two out of three Swedes (76 per cent) want to head for warmer climes over Christmas, according to the latest survey by online travel agency eBeach.se. "We see an increasing trend where the whole family chooses to travel together to celebrate the winter holidays. This way you can focus on spending time with each other and just socialise instead of stressing about food and Christmas," says Rebecca Pettersson, marketing manager at eBeach.se. Why Swedes are travelling abroad at Christmas:
- Avoiding Christmas stress (28 %)
- Sun and bath (24 %)
- Changing environment (15 %)
- Avoiding Christmas (8 %)
- Get out of Christmas shopping (2 %)
Tourism in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is investing in tourism and will issue its first tourist visas next year. Visas have previously been limited to people travelling to work or visit religious sites in the country.
The tourism drive is part of a plan to reduce dependence on oil, with a target of 30 million visitors per year by 2030, up from 18 million last year, according to TT. According to CNN, the country is planning several luxury resorts along the Red Sea beaches and a Six Flags theme park.
China is the future of travelling
With many in the travel industry looking east, Skyscanner has released a market report focusing on tech travel trends in China. A handful of airlines have started to design their technology with the Chinese traveller in mind.
For example, KLM and Finnair have introduced payment and customer service via the Chinese app WeChat. The report includes statistics from IATA which predict that China will take over as the world's leading aviation market by around 2024.
More flights to the US this winter
More than 1.1 million travellers have flown with Norwegian between Sweden and the US since its launch four years ago, says Norwegian in a press release. Interest in travelling to the US is growing and Norwegian is the airline that offers the most destinations in the US directly from Sweden.
"In the winter programme, we have increased the number of departures to Los Angeles from Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo from two to three times a week," says Thomas Ramdahl, Commercial Director at Norwegian.
How much does it cost to watch Sweden at the World Cup?
Online travel agency TravelBird has calculated how much it will cost to see Sweden win the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The calculations are based on flights, tickets, accommodation and other costs and are given for two levels: economy budget and VIP budget.
The results are too long to publish here, but you can see the full calculation at travelbird.se/cost-em-2021. Also note that historical data has shown that it is cheaper to book the World Cup trip as soon as possible.
Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Hot weekend cities, cake cities and travel destinations for 2018
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Across the board says:
I have relatives who have lived in Saudi for a few years and I have to say that I am not at all interested in spending any holiday money in that country.
04 December 2017 - 7:10
Helena says:
Wow, those were words and not songs! Like the honesty 🙂
04 December 2017 - 20:34
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
I have acquaintances who have lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, so I completely agree with the "crusade" that I wouldn't spend a holiday dollar there.
Supply and competition on airline routes such as to the USA is positive for us travellers, but sometimes one wonders how long this can continue....
04 December 2017 - 10:30
Helena says:
If you think about a sustainable lifestyle, there are many things that can, and should, be questioned! It is important to find a balance ...
04 December 2017 - 20:36
Johnny Friskilä says:
Should we go to Saudi 2018 then? 😉
04 December 2017 - 10:40
Helena says:
You tend to like odd destinations Johnny, so why not? 😉
04 December 2017 - 20:37
Role o Carina says:
I would much rather go to Florida than Saudi 🙂 .
SolKram
04 December 2017 - 10:44
Helena says:
I see in the comments section that interest in Saudi is limited. They need to work hard on their image I think 😉.
04 December 2017 - 20:37
Ditte says:
As for Saudi, it's not just the visa that has been tricky there. I have Swedish friends who have lived there for a couple of years and told me about "daily life". And it's not easy for women. That it would be allowed for women to move around without an abaya is probably not relevant, and neither is the fact that men and women in most restaurants sit in the same room and eat. (There are exceptions in hotels and so on.) And whether it feels attractive to travel to this dictatorship is perhaps doubtful. There are plenty of countries where it is easier to move around and which do not have "public" death penalties.
I've travelled in, lived in and visited the USA many times so I'll skip it....possibly the N.Y. exception.
04 December 2017 - 11:00
Helena says:
I agree with you that it is very complex! The problem may be that if you open up to tourism, it will be behind "walls" with different rules than in the rest of the country. But do you really want to be behind fences? I could think it would be interesting to see the country, but not behind a fence ... You can always discuss whether you should support questionable regimes. Can tourism change something positive in the long run, or is it the other way round? Regardless, they will have to work on their image 😉 .
04 December 2017 - 20:42
Mr Frank Olsen says:
No, I definitely do NOT want to go to Saudi Arabia on holiday.
I stay away from countries like that, we hear all kinds of stories about people being thrown in jail for kissing each other on the beach, or for drinking alcohol etc etc.
My middle daughter lived for two years with her husband in Riyadh, and her youngest daughter (my youngest grandchild) was actually born down there. They say they will never go to Saudia Arabia again. So from me it will be No thanks !
China on the other hand, sure, it's on my bouquet list!
And very nice that Norwegian is doing so well, but I miss a few more routes from Stavanger 🙂 .
04 December 2017 - 12:39
Helena says:
You have inside information, so I guess you have reason to say what you say. I once read a book which, although written by a foreign woman, was still very interesting: http://www.freedomtravel.se/2012/03/boktips-resa-i-sharialand/
04 December 2017 - 20:44
BP says:
Oh dear! Your readers don't seem to like Saudi Arabia. I know nothing about the country, but their attitude towards women is notorious. So as a Western woman, I don't think I would feel too comfortable there.
Checked the cost of the World Cup in Russia a little more closely. Considering where poor Sweden gets to play its matches and the distances between the stadiums / cities, I prefer the TV couch, but the costs were not really that high anyway, I thought.
04 December 2017 - 15:23
Helena says:
Haha, no, there seems to be no rush to Saudi if you can believe our readers. They have some work to do when it comes to image and so I feel ... 😉.
04 December 2017 - 20:45
Renate's travels says:
I will definitely be travelling to Saudi Arabia when I can. Not because I want to support that horrible dictatorship, but because I want to learn more about what life is like for the people living there, especially the women. For their situation to ever improve, their stories need to see the light of day. Not to be hidden and forgotten. Moreover, the increasing number of tourists from democratic countries may also make both citizens and authorities realise that things need to change...
04 December 2017 - 15:25
Helena says:
Like you, I have an innate curiosity and can therefore also find it interesting to travel to completely different cultures, even if I don't like everything. I also wonder whether opening up to tourism could gradually mean something positive for those who live there. At the same time, I'm worried that there will be restricted tourist spots behind walls, where you can go more lightly dressed and drink alcohol, for example. But if you are behind a fence, you don't get to experience much of the country ... It will be interesting to follow!
06 December 2017 - 7:12
Marina says:
Say what you like about Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination, but it will be interesting to see what they think. If there will be a "separate tourist section" with completely different rules. Otherwise, I find it hard to see how they think ...
04 December 2017 - 18:26
Helena says:
My thoughts exactly, it will be very interesting to see how they plan this. I won't be surprised if there will be a separate tourist section behind walls with "lighter" rules ...
06 December 2017 - 7:13
Alexandra says:
It's very interesting how many people write that they would never go to Saudi Arabia because of political reasons.... but it's not like Russia is anywhere near a utopia either?
04 December 2017 - 19:21
Helena says:
I agree that this is tricky. There are many countries that have questionable regimes, in different ways. Then there is the question of what tourism means: does it mean supporting the regime or does it mean that the country can gradually open up a bit ...?
06 December 2017 - 7:15
Nils-Åke says:
China can attract me and the US
04 December 2017 - 19:36
Helena says:
China is exciting! 🙂
06 December 2017 - 7:15
Anette says:
Yes, I don't think I'm interested in travelling to Saudi.
I have a friend who has been there and says "never again".
A couple of friends live there as the husband works in the country, they are happy but it doesn't appeal to me.
What a negative comment, I'd better pull myself together.
04 December 2017 - 20:16
Helena says:
Haha, I don't think you should "get upset", of course you should be able to have opinions! 🙂
06 December 2017 - 7:16
Ruth in Virginia says:
Saudi Arabia - Pres. Trump visited the country on his first trip abroad;
seemed to be enjoying himself very much, as TV showed him dancing with the
other men; all with big spears (Swedish?). The only time I saw him
show your teeth (smile). There was also a concert, which only men could attend
To. - A geologist couple, good friends, worked in SA for a couple of years; could not
get out of there fast enough.
What about. USA - The country is so big, and has so much to offer
outside NY City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles. But it takes time to
explore it. Definitely something for retirees with a motorhome.
USA in winter - We have great ski resorts in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah,
Sierra Nevada, California and others.
04 December 2017 - 21:19
Helena says:
Hmmm ... Saudi is a "male" country in a way, maybe it suited President Trump ...!? As for the USA, I can definitely imagine that there is a lot to see and experience there! We have never really been attracted to the American culture, but there is a lot of nature that I would like to see! And who knows, maybe I'd be surprised by the culture as well 😉.
06 December 2017 - 7:21
Ama de casa says:
I have tried holidaying in a country where women are not allowed. Iran - 1995. I was given the choice of wearing a veil or staying at home. I chose to go.
The worst was probably the experience when we had to collect the visa in Lidingö.
Don't be prepared for that. A man stood in the doorway, put up his hand and said:
- Excuse me, you have to cover your hair... Anders picked up a scarf from the briefcase that our Iranian friend had sent with him. Like putting a towel over a parrot cage, I can say. I fell silent...
Then I had to dress like an Easter bunny already at Arlanda. Travelled with Iran Air (which at that time seemed to have bought its planes from Aeroflot...).
I do not regret the trip. It was interesting to see the country and also together with our Iranian friends. A very interesting trip, even if I felt "offended", to use today's expression.
But I would not go to Saudi today. There are no connections there, and 20 years later they should have gone further than "letting women drive".
04 December 2017 - 22:23
Helena says:
But how interesting! That it started already at the embassy when you would pick up the visa, I probably would not have been prepared for that either ... Iran I would like to see really. Have heard a lot of nice things about that country too. However, I have also heard that our blog is blocked there, so ... hmmm, it will not be easy ... (not if we want to blog anyway).
06 December 2017 - 7:23
Marianne - Glimpses of the world says:
It will be interesting to follow the development of tourism in Saudi Arabia, and the country's development in general, especially when it comes to gender equality and human rights. I stopped there on my way to and from Oman, just to refuel, and thought at the time that it was probably the closest I would get to visiting that country, at least for many, many years. Let's see how it develops now, then!
04 December 2017 - 22:49
Helena says:
It will certainly be interesting to follow developments. Above all, I hope that there really will be a development!
06 December 2017 - 7:24