With its new focus on the Tier II and Tier III cities across India, in addition to the metros, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism says it has registered 23 pc growth in the number of Indian visitors to the Emirate in January-May 2023.

The first five months of the year 2023 have seen a hefty 23 pc growth in the number of Indian tourists to Dubai, says a press statement by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) which says it increased its efforts to showcase the destination through B2B travel trade engagements such as trade workshops, mega familiarisation trips, exhibitions, and roadshows across India, including metro cities, Tier II and Tier III markets in the first half of the year.

DET says it aims to position Dubai as the first-choice destination for Indian travellers. Benefitting from close proximity and direct connectivity to Indian cities, DET says it is committed to expanding its footprint in secondary markets in India and highlighting the myriad offerings Dubai has to offer. “The results thus far have been outstanding, with Dubai experiencing a remarkable 23 pc increase in overnight visitor numbers during the first 5 months of 2023 compared to 2019,” DET says in a press statement.

Between January – June 2023, DET says it organised mega familiarisation trips, hosting over 200 travel agents from 30 cities across regions of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh. It adds that participation in trade exhibitions like SATTE 2023 and ATM 2023 helped showcase Dubai’s offerings to attract new and repeat visitors. In March, DET organised roadshows in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai to position Dubai as a preferred international destination for the summer holidays. These events provided a platform for the Indian travel trade to connect with Dubai stakeholders including airlines, destination management companies, hotels & resorts, and attractions in Dubai, fostering valuable partnerships.

The statement adds that to further bolster inbound travel from India, DET organised trade workshops in metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. The workshops offered comprehensive insights into Dubai’s evolving tourism landscape, featuring new and existing attractions, world-class hospitality, and culinary experiences, enabling the travel trade community to curate diverse and enriching itineraries. These workshops garnered enthusiastic participation from two of India’s largest airlines IndiGo, and Vistara, along with Emirates. Importantly, they highlighted Dubai’s exceptional flight connectivity, with direct links to 22 Indian cities, and emphasised ease of access positioning Dubai as an ideal choice for quick getaways and layover destinations to and from the UK, Africa, Europe and North America. In total, the workshops welcomed over 350 participants from these five cities.

The statement adds that penetrating further into Tier II cities and understanding the market requirements, DET also hosted trade dinners in Jaipur, Guwahati & Bhubaneswar to showcase Dubai’s tourism offerings and further amplify the appeal of the city as the top consideration for travel. DET co-hosted the dinner event with IndiGo Airlines in Bhubaneshwar to promote the new flight sector between Bhubaneswar and Dubai. These exclusive trade dinners saw participation from owners of leading travel agencies in each city.

“India is a top priority for us, and we are committed to showcasing different facets of the destination to the Indian traveller. Our pan-India outreach has yielded remarkable results, with a 23 pc increase in overnight visitor numbers compared to 2019 surpassing 1 million visitors in the first five months of the year. We have covered the breadth and depth of India by conducting multi-city roadshows, trade workshops, and mega familiarization trips, while actively participating in exhibitions like SATTE 2023 and ATM 2023 to further cement our position as the No.1 outbound destination from India. With exceptional flight connectivity, a convenient visa process, and our ongoing commitment to the Indian market, we are confident that our upcoming initiatives will further amplify awareness about Dubai’s diverse attractions, multicultural setting, and abundance of hotels and attractions, making it the top choice for Indian tourists,” says Bader Ali Habib, Head of South Asia, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.

The statement adds that the board has also recently concluded a second roadshow in the cities of Lucknow, New Delhi & Chandigarh in the first half of July, which saw over 550 participants.