Guardian: Saudi Hajj changes and the resultant uproar for British Muslim travel agencies

Saudi Arabia has introduced a new online system for applying for the Hajj pilgrimage. Thus, a refund should be issued for pilgrims who made reservation with tour companies protected by the Air Travel Organizer’s License (Atol). This is while many British Muslim travel companies that received deposits for flights in 2020 and postponed Hajj packages to this year due to the Covid pandemic have been left in financial limbo.

On the other hand, these companies will go bankrupt if travelers lose thousands of pounds potentially. This month, the Saudi government replaced reserving through travel agencies for pilgrims from Europe, the USA and Australia with applying through a lottery system where successful applicants are randomly selected. Then, they can directly make reservation for accommodation and transport through the website.

In an interview with hajj and Umrah tour companies by Seán McLoughlin, a Professor at the University of Leeds, he said these businesses have possibly tens of millions of pounds stuck in Saudi Arabia. According to the Saudi government, the aim was to get tough on fraudulent travel agencies through this change. Also, the process of applying for Hajj would be simplified through e-visa services.
Source: shafaqna