No guests must be evicted, Dubai authority instructs hotels
Hotels in Dubai were sent an email from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) advising that they must provide all possible assistance to tourists affected by flight cancellations or delays.
“We would appreciate your cooperation to provide hotel guests who were scheduled for check-out but unable to do so due to these circumstances with an offer to extend their stay under the same conditions as their previous booking,” the email from DET said. “Right now, it’s important that no guests are evicted under these circumstances.”
The department also directed hotels to alert the DET “if a guest is unable to pay for an extension of his or her stay” as soon as possible. In this scenario, the hotels are required to submit further information regarding the guest's original length of stay, details on any extended stays and whether a third party is assisting with paying for accommodation.
That comes as more than 1,500 flights have been cancelled region-wide due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Multiple UAE airlines have not booked passengers on flights to or from the UAE until Monday.
One hotel executive, who requested anonymity because they have been in negotiations with the DET, said the agency has received their commitment to fully cooperate. “All our hotels are currently booked,” said Mohamed Rafi, Chief Executive Officer of Flora Hospitality.
“DET has directed us to provide the utmost level of traveller support. We also have a policy to never raise prices in those situations, and not evict a tourist if they couldn’t afford it.”
Similarly in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) has instructed hotels throughout the capital to assist guests unable to travel due to the flight cancellations by offering them an extended stay -- with the authority covering payment for additional nights.
On Monday, the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) also said in a statement that all accommodation and sustenance costs of affected and stranded passengers will be covered by the UAE.
Comments