Why UAE is a top draw for Indian tourists

The Dubai travel and tourism industry is set to welcome 2019 on a vibrant note as the emirate welcomed a record 8.1 million international overnight visitors during the first six months of 2018. This represents a consistent increase over the same period last year.

"Working in the travel and tourism industry since 2008, we have always experienced growth in the number of tourists during H2 every year," said Sapna Aidasani, marketing manager, Pluto Travels. The Dubai Tourism department is taking initiatives to give the best experience to Dubai visitors by creating new attractions every year.

She said that her firm focuses on the Indian market and has already done group bookings for October and November. Indian tourists tend to make most visits during these months since it is considered to be the festival season.

"There is huge demand to see the Dubai Safari, Dubai Frame and Dubai Parks and Resorts as they are the latest tourist attractions in Dubai. We are expecting a significant growth in tourists from Indian and Middle East tourists in H2," added Aidasani.

Mamoun Hmedan, managing director of Wego, said Dubai has come a long way from being a predominantly winter destination to becoming a year-long attraction.

"This transformation can be attributed to the allure of its landmarks, festivals and new cultural attractions. Coupled with the changes in visa regulations and customised marketing campaigns, Dubai is on its way to meet its 2020 target of 20 million visitors."

Hmedan said the government's investment into the development of tourism and hospitality infrastructure - a noteworthy project being the airport expansion - is having a significant impact in managing greater tourist influx.

"The stable year-on-year growth in tourist numbers also explains why Dubai keeps ranking among the top five most searched destinations by Wego users, not just from the Mena region, but also globally," he said.

- sandhya@khaleejtimes.com

Sandhya D'Mello

Journalist. Period. My interests are Economics, Finance and Information Technology. Prior to joining Khaleej Times, I have worked with some leading publications in India, including the Economic Times.