India: Dubai tourism’s largest source market
India Outbound
Dubai gains popularity as a tourist destination in India
With 20 pc rise in the total number of international guests arrival from India, the country continues to maintain a top spot in Dubai tourism.
Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has reported 11.8 million international guests in the present year reflecting a 7.5 pc increase over the same period last year and India is still maintaining its position as the top market source for inbound tourists.
According to the latest data released by the city’s tourism board, with the arrival of 1,478,000 international tourists in between January and September, Dubai has seen a 20 pc rise in the number of Indian tourists’ arrival making India the top market for Dubai’s inbound tourism.
Tourism forms an important part of Dubai’s economy. On November 2, 2017, Dubai Tourism Department celebrated four award wins at The World Travel Awards 2017. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “Tourism is a central pillar of Dubai’s economic growth and diversification, and the city continues to be a must-visit destination for both business and leisure travellers – increasingly including repeat visits.
In accordance with our Tourism Vision 2020, we are working tirelessly with our industry partners to broaden Dubai’s offering across events, attractions, infrastructure and services.”
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism further added, “Ultimately, our aim is to make every satisfied Dubai visitor our customer for life and our strongest advocate, in order to drive not only higher traffic but also acquire newer audiences most efficiently, as we strive towards a target of 20 million by 2020.”
Driving factors
This increase has been attributed to several factors such as relaxed visa restrictions for Indian passport holders, effective promotional activities by Dubai Tourism in India and successful collaborations with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
To enhance the emirate’s position as the ‘Cruise Hub of the Region’, Dubai’s Department of Tourism has also been regularly organising roadshows in four to five cities of the country recently. The city further celebrates Diwali, the Festival of Light every year, the shopping malls and entertainment destinations have an array of festive themed events and activities for the tourists. Saeed Mohammad Measam Al Falasi, Executive Director, Retail and Strategic Alliances, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism, said, “Diwali marks a very significant date in the Indian calendar and has long been celebrated across the city. This year Dubai will be offering an abundance of activity to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a very happy Diwali.”
Adding to this, India is the fastest growing outbound market with a prediction to grow 50 million by 2020 as per the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)
Competition for India
If the growth chart of pc increase in the number of international tourists’ arrival is observed, then Russia has topped the chart with 95 pc growth of outbound tourists in Dubai. Following Russia, China stands second on the list with 49 pc of growth. In the light of this growth, the two countries can prove to be tough competition for India in future.
