As tensions in the Middle East worsen, the local government in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced it would cover stays for foreign tourists stranded there, but tourists in Dubai are still paying for lodging and other costs themselves.
According to local Korean residents and others on the 5th, the UAE government said on the 2nd it would support foreign tourists staying in the country with lodging and meal expenses and emergency visa issuance fees. Travelers stranded in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere due to flight cancellations can present a flight cancellation certificate (Cancellation Certificate) at the hotel front desk to extend their stay free of charge. The government also said it would issue emergency visas to guarantee lawful stays.
But the situation on the ground differs from the announcement. One tourist asked the hotel and was told that only an extension at the same price was possible. A travel industry official said, "Interpretations of the policy vary by region and by hotel, so in most cases people are not getting support."
On social media (SNS) and elsewhere, posts say that not only Koreans but also tourists of other nationalities are still paying lodging and meal costs in full. Some even claim the stay-support policy itself is "fake news."
According to a notice posted on the website of the Consulate General in Dubai, to receive support in Dubai you must prove that you are in a situation where it is truly difficult to pay for lodging. With strict requirements and a lack of concrete guidance for individual tourists, many are effectively staying at their own expense.
In areas where the support does not apply, lodging prices are rising, prompting some tourists to move to other cities such as Abu Dhabi. At a resort in Al Ain, near the Oman border, the nightly rate as of today is 1.04 million won. That is nearly five times higher than the reservation price two months from now, 210,000 won.
As flight cancellations pile up and the burden on those staying locally grows, private companies have stepped in to help. Airbnb Homes, a vacation home rental firm, said it would provide free accommodations to travelers stranded by flight cancellations, and Dubai property developer Danube Properties also announced a plan to offer free lodging.
An estimated slightly more than 4,000 Korean nationals are currently on short stays mainly in Dubai. Some of them have begun their return journeys on flights secured by travel agencies such as Hanatour. Others who could not secure flights are traveling overland to neighboring countries to depart.
Locally, calls are growing for the government to swiftly put in place transport measures. Even if charter flights are secured, safety assessments and other steps will be needed, which will take time.
Minister Cho Hyun of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared on a radio program the same day and, regarding support for returning home, said, "There is a possibility (of deploying military transport aircraft), but for now we are carefully reviewing, at a working level, what would be the most prompt and effective."