Dubai flaunts world of experiences to rekindle wanderlust of travellers
In the post-pandemic world, Dubai has transformed into a destination of surprises and has opened up with unlimited attractions for tourists. Bader Ali Habib, Head of Region-South Asia International Operations, Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai opens up about the current offers for travellers and the world-famous attractions in the city.
Aglobal destination of unlimited possibilities, safety, fun and culture that serves as a paradise for travellers heading to the United Arab Emirates is obviously Dubai. Aimed to make the new-age Indian travellers aware about the latest tourist attractions that have come up in Dubai during the pre and post-pandemic era, the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai hosted its second roadshow in India including cities such as Kolkata, Bangalore, Kochi and Chennai in August, this year.
Interacting at the event, Bader Ali Habib explained, “India is undoubtedly our largest tourist market and we are quite familiar with the India market. With MICE making a comeback, we are showcasing new hospitality setups that have come up in recent times in Dubai. Today’s Indian travellers vouch for Dubai as a tourist destination but not many are aware of the latest attractions that have been unveiled in the city before the pandemic and postpandemic times. India has tremendous potential in terms of MICE and leisure tourists. We want to update the travellers that Dubai is an all-round destination that has lots to offer to tourists.”
Travellers need to plan out a fivenight tour of the city to make the most of the experiences offered by Dubai. The summer season marks the off-season period for travelling to Dubai. Habib said, “The destination is highly affordable once summer sets in. The ideal time to visit the destination in terms of value is during August and September. Dubai Tourism has rolled out the Summer Campaign offer where travellers have to shell out for threenight tours and enjoy five-night stays or stay for seven nights and pay for only five. The offer is valid till September 2022, and interested tourists can avail the offer by logging on to the Visit Dubai website.”
There are 11 golf courses in Dubai. Habib further said, “Golf tourism is a growing market in India. The upcoming DP World Tour Championship, Dubai will
be held in Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 17-20, this year.”
The Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai is actively promoting a host of bucket-list destinations with the Indian travel trade. Habib added, “The Museum of the Future has opened its doors this year. There is Aura Skypool in Palm Jumeirah that figures as the world’s highest 360° swimming pool and has kicked off this year. The beach destination of La Mer that offers stunning views of the city skyline came up in 2017. The Palm Jumeirah offers breathtaking 360° views of Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Sea and the city skyline.”
India is the largest outbound travel market for Dubai. “Oman comes next to India in terms of tourists count. Our new B2B and B2C markets are Turkey and Pakistan. We are eyeing the upper-middle class segment of travellers in Pakistan. As a destination, we have to be agile. We continue to evolve and scout for different segments with our trade partners. We are organising webinars and familiarisation trips for the Indian travel trade. Our global campaigns are all online. Mumbai has the largest share of outbound travellers to Dubai followed by New Delhi,” further added Habib.
Nearly 1.8 million Indian tourists headed to Dubai in 2019. “We have received around 8,58,000 Indian visitors in the first half of the current year. We are quite confident that we would maintain the pre-pandemic figures. There were 7.1 million global visitors in the first half of the existing year that has contributed to 183 per cent rise in global footfalls,” signed off Habib.