This is a measure that breaks with the traditional system of travel agencies and allows each pilgrim to book both the plane ticket and the hotel individually.
With less than a month to go before the first post-coronavirus Hajj, Saudi Arabia has decided to implement an individual online reservation system for pilgrims from Europe, the United States and Australia. This is a measure that breaks with the traditional system of travel agencies and allows each pilgrim to book both the plane ticket and the hotel individually. In countries with a special Hajj ministry, the majority of Muslim countries, the online process is not necessary as the journey remains the responsibility of a ministry that allocates places by lottery.
Agents consulted in Spain report that it is a measure that was taken by surprise and that the argument that the Saudis have defended is that the measure will prevent the abuse of some agencies that have pushed prices above 10,000 euros for seven days of pilgrimage. be reduced. The customer can now manage the ticket directly with the kingdom’s airline and hotels, without intermediaries. The problem is that a large part of the pilgrims from the West “don’t speak Arabic, they are a pensioner who has saved their whole life for this trip and would rather have a guide to help them and not a computer, it is a brake on the oldest”, according to a pilgrim professional consulted in this way.
The Hajj is the pilgrimage that every Muslim should do at least once in his life according to the Quran if his health and wallet allow it. It is one of the five pillars of Islam (the other four being the creed, praying five times a day, fasting during Ramadan and giving alms) and is for the believers to purify their souls and show that everyone equal before God. There are an estimated 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, so the number of requests for Hajj far exceeds the capacity of the holy sites.
Source: La Verdad
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