Premium holiday packages from Dh7,000: UAE airlines, tour operators announce affordable luxury travel options

Premium holiday packages from Dh7,000: UAE airlines, tour operators announce affordable luxury travel options

Packages often feature premium seats on flights, stay in a 4- or 5-star hotel with breakfast or half-board, private transfers, tours, luxury shopping vouchers

Published: Thu 4 May 2023, 6:00 AM Last updated: Thu 4 May 2023, 6:09 AM

UAE-based airlines and tour operators are increasingly looking to cater to a new class of travellers who are looking for premium experiences at affordable rates. According to travel experts, affordable luxury packages cost up to 20 per cent more than low-cost ones.

Holiday Factory, a company that specialises in curating affordable all-inclusive packages, has launched a new brand specifically targeting such travellers.

Sandra Dammrich, general manager at the new brand called Holiday Factory Premium, cited research conducted in the UAE to say that “one-third of the population is seeking premium holidays”. She said these travellers are “underserved with all-inclusive packages at the right price”.

Ekaterina Malikova, product manager, said 73 per cent of premium holiday seekers in the UAE look for all-inclusive packages and “95 per cent of those end up booking by themselves”.

“It’s a long, tedious process of endlessly researching and creating a self-itinerary which ends up being cost-ineffective,” she added.

The company is curating holidays to “popular and unexplored” destinations such as Switzerland, Italy and