Dubai Economy & Tourism Achieves 23% Higher Visitor Arrivals From January to June

Ahead of the summer travel season, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) dialed up its efforts to showcase the destination through B2B travel trade engagements such as trade workshops, mega familiarization trips, exhibitions, and roadshows across India, including metro cities, tier II and III markets in the first half of the year. DET is committed to expanding its footprint in secondary markets in India, and the results showcase that Dubai experiences a 23% increase in overnight visitor numbers during the first 5 months of 2023 compared to 2019.

Between January – June 2023, DET organized mega familiarization trips hosting over 200 travel agents from 30 cities across regions, parrticipation in trade exhibitions like SATTE 2023 and ATM, and also organized roadshows in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai. 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 workshops highlighted Dubai’s flight connectivity, with direct links to 22 Indian cities, and emphasized ease of access positioning Dubai as an ideal choice for quick getaways and layover destinations to and from the UK, Africa, Europe & North America.

Penetrating further into tier II cities and understanding the market requirements, DET also hosted trade dinners in Jaipur, Guwahati & Bhubaneswar, and alongside co-hosted the dinner event with IndiGo Airlines in Bhubaneshwar to promote the new flight sector between Bhubaneswar and Dubai.

Bader Ali Habib, Head of South Asia, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism said, “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% increase in overnight visitor numbers compared to 2019 surpassing 1 million visitor 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”, Habib added.