Dutch government eases travel advice for Qatar, UAE and Oman to yellow

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adjusted its travel advice for Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman to yellow. As a result, thousands of holidays to Asia and other long-haul destinations will be able to go ahead in the coming weeks.

Travel via Gulf hubs possible again

The adjustment follows recent developments around the Strait of Hormuz. In response, travel advice for countries including Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain has also been revised. For the Dutch travel industry, the change for Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi is particularly important.

Since the outbreak of the war in Iran, these destinations had been coded orange. As a result, travel via the major aviation hubs in the Middle East could not be offered for holidays.

Relief for the travel industry

According to ANVR director Frank Radstake, the change is good news for the many thousands of travellers who will be flying via the Middle East to Asia in the coming summer months. Holidays to destinations such as Thailand, Bali and Sri Lanka can now go ahead as planned. Travel companies are also relieved. TUI says the orange travel advice meant that trips to these destinations and journeys via the affected hubs were temporarily suspended.

Cautious recovery towards the Middle East

Airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad had already resumed their daily flights to and from Schiphol. However, because of the travel advice, travel companies had not yet been able to use these routes. Corendon expects to offer holidays to the Middle East again in due course. According to the company, it may still take some time before holidaymakers choose the region itself as a destination again.

According to D-reizen, the change primarily provides clarity for travellers who had been waiting to see how the geopolitical developments would unfold.