That tourism from India accounts for a large portion of foreign visitors to the United Arab Emirates is a well-known fact. The UAE is in fact home to the highest number of Indians abroad with 3.42 million Indians – one-fourth of all Indians abroad.
So it comes as no surprise that the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced that India is the largest source market of tourism for Abu Dhabi with visitors from the country touching 4,49,574 in 2019. This marks an 8.2% increase from the year before a 60% increase from 2015.
In order to bolster the ties between the tourism industries in Abu Dhabi and India, the DCT Abu Dhabi held a series of meetings with key tour operators in Delhi and Mumbai recently.
“We are here to demonstrate that DCT Abu Dhabi remains steadfast in its commitment to collaborating closely with the Indian travel trade as we aim to grow the number of visitors to Abu Dhabi even further in 2020. India remains Abu Dhabi’s top source market due to our nations’ strong cultural and political ties and our common values, and factors like easy connectivity and a plethora of attractions that caters to every type of traveler – from families, couples, incentive groups to weddings,” said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Acting Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi.
Tourism in Abu Dhabi has seen a significant growth in 2019, with the emirate welcoming a record 11.35 million visitors through the year, a 10% increase from 2018, and Indians were a significant part of this footfall.
“India has long been a priority for DCT Abu Dhabi, and the Indian market will certainly play a prime role in shaping our strategy for the future as well. There will be consistent marketing investment in India, spanning from a trade roadshow in the second half of 2020, trade partnerships to digital and social marketing presence, all in the hopes to position Abu Dhabi as the go-to destination for Indian travelers throughout the year,” said Saeed Al Saeed, Destination Marketing Director at DCT Abu Dhabi.
Abu Dhabi boasts of a range of tourist activities and places to visit including Louvre Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn, Qasr Al Watan and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.