On April 18, 82 citizens of Uzbekistan encountered a challenging situation at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Turkey while returning from a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrims became stranded in the transit zone, requiring intervention from responsible services and creating unexpected hurdles in their journey home.
According to the Consulate General of Uzbekistan, these citizens had used the services of private tourism companies Ihlos Travel and Hikmat Travel, planning a route from "Riyadh — Istanbul — Shymkent — Tashkent." However, due to the inadequate fulfillment of obligations by the trip organizers, the individuals found themselves in a difficult predicament abroad, leading to issues with safety and comfort.
Negotiations were held with responsible authorities and representatives of the mentioned tourism firms to resolve the situation. As a result, the citizens were provided with necessary conditions during their stay in the transit zone—including food, transportation, and other services—which helped alleviate their circumstances.
The return of the pilgrims to Uzbekistan was organized along the agreed-upon route and carried out under the full supervision of relevant bodies. No additional problems arose during this process, but the incident highlighted the unreliability of the travel organizers.
Authorities once again appealed to citizens and tourism companies to adhere to measures preventing such situations in the future. Specifically, it is recommended to arrange airline tickets and bookings for the entire route in advance, provide passengers with complete information about transit connections, maintain constant communication during the trip, and not leave clients unattended in unforeseen circumstances.
Previously, the Committee for Religious Affairs reminded Uzbeks of the rules for organizing pilgrimages and the strict accountability for attempts to perform Hajj outside official channels. This incident underscored the risks associated with relying on private travel agencies and disregarding formal procedures.
Source: podrobno.uz