Bader Ali Habib

How was 2024 for Dubai in terms of inbound tourism from India and other countries?

2024 was a great year for us. Looking at the global numbers, we hosted the 18.72 million international overnight visitors in comparison to 2023. That is a 9 pc increase year on year.

In terms of South Asia, we hosted about 3.14 million overnight visitors across the region, and I think that makes a very significant share of the overall numbers.

Overall, we have been doing great in India in terms of the kind of output we have been getting out of the country, we have been able to penetrate the Tier II and III cities very well.

We have been exploring growing and mining new markets, especially lifestyle, and we are looking at how we can now move on from the segment approach to a personal approach, which means that we want to keenly understand families and couples in a better manner. That is going to be the next, Dubai 2.0, which is why we need to be hyper localised in our efforts.

Did the numbers from India increase in 2024 in comparison to 2023?

There was growth. The trends have been telling us that there has been an uptick from Tier II to III markets and there will be a shift in the way that the focus will be more on Tier II, because the kind of wealth that has been pocketed in those regions and the hunger for travel has only come in after the pandemic.

Tier I is very familiar. It is also true that in Tier I a lot of people have other means to spend, they have a lifestyle that they need to maintain in Tier II, you have limited options, so travel then becomes paramount. It is also true for the fact that in terms of spending powers, we have been seeing a lot of increase in terms of spending and not just leisure, but weddings as well.

Dubai has a lot of weddings from Tier II, Tier III cities. These are people that typically would not go abroad for destination weddings, likewise in terms of MICE, a lot of corporates that have now ventured into Tier II, Tier III are bringing all the partners from the small pockets to give them an experience and I think overall this a number that will continue to grow.

Have you engaged in any collaborations to promote your brand or presence in India?

Absolutely! I am going to give you a very good example. We recently partnered with Gaurav Gupta, a very celebrated fashion designer. He has dressed up everybody from Shakira, Beyonce to Kareena Kapoor. We invited him to Dubai and gave him an immersive experience based on which he has created a capsule collection for Dubai, inspired from his visit. These were places like Al Seef, which is more culturally nuanced, and the desert itself and what he could draw from it. So, there are different terrains and topography that he visited and created pieces out of that. Now, what that really does is, it takes Dubai into the household beyond just an advertisement saying, “Come to Dubai”.

We realised that Dubai as a brand needs to resonate with pop culture. So, whether that is fashion, food, entertainment, life, events, films, television, I think that would be the new direction for Dubai. How do we find ourselves in your households without promoting Dubai as push marketing?

Also, we are learning, we have a lot of rich data on Indians, and now we are mining it in a way that we truly understand what needs to be done, what needs to be consumed, and what are they looking for?

Are you focussing on different segments of tourism to promote Dubai?

100 pc! The uptake that we have had on India this year is incredible. In fact, after we launched, Resorts One World, the new ship, a lot of Indians have taken to cruise and historically they would not look at the region for cruise. I think what they realise with Dubai is that firstly, it is easy to get to.

Second, you get the best in class. And number three, you get to spend your time in Dubai, do your shopping, get immersed, enjoy the attractions, and also get a cruise experience. I think that segment will continue to grow because today Indians are willing to pay the price of and the kind of demographic that we are attracting are now willing to pay the price.

So historically, they would compare us to, let us say, a destination that could be far cheaper. Today people compare to destinations that are further and say, you know what, Dubai can give us more value for money.

I think the whole demographic has changed over the last two or three years, especially post-pandemic. Cruise is one segment that we will continue to mine and identify what new ships can come, what new itineraries can be built, and what new packages can be made with the tour operators and the partners.

What projections do you have for 2025 in terms of arrivals to Dubai?

2025 is going to be a very interesting year. Obviously, we have the target set for us under G33, so there is no stopping in terms of where we want to be. Year on year, we are going to continue to grow, but I think there are certain areas that we are very particularly focused on. Sustainability is one of them. Last time we discussed projects like Dubai Reef, the Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST).

Well, this year, there is another interesting project called the Therme Dubai, which is slated to open in 2028, and will be the world’s tallest resort and the region’s largest wellbeing resort. That is something that very excited about. The resort will have three verticals which will be restoration, play and relaxation. One special feature of that is that it will have a botanical garden, which is going to be the world’s largest indoor botanical garden with over 200 species. So we really want to go out to the world and tell them that Dubai is championing sustainability like nobody else.