DRMumbai: After the successful completion in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, UAE organised an exclusive roadshow called ‘Visit UAE’ at St. Regis, Mumbai. The Ministry of Economy, represented by the National Tourism Programme and accompanied by the UAE delegation, concluded its roadshow series in Mumbai — the city that sees the maximum number of tourists visiting the UAE every year. In Mumbai, His Excellency Dr Ahmed Al Banna, UAE’s Ambassador to India, addressed the gathering of trade partners and travel media. “The India-UAE foreign trade is valued at $53 bn now and the UAE is the third largest trading partner for India after China and the USA. UAE is also home to the largest number of Indian migrants. Tourism has been a major economic activity for the UAE and increasingly the Indian diaspora is becoming an integral part of this.”
The ‘Visit UAE’ roadshow witnessed an esteemed delegation, including Tourism officials, leading airlines, and senior members from the UAE’s tourism and hospitality Industry showcasing their products. Local tourism departments included Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing Dubai, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, Ajman Tourism Development Department, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Fujairah Tourism & Antiquities Authority, Dubai Police and Dubai Health Authority. Besides the government departments and authorities, national carriers Emirates and Air Arabia were also part of the roadshow.
Hotels, tour operators, travel agents and tourist attractions such as Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai Marine Beach Resort & Spa, The Cove Rotana RAK, Golden Sands Hotel Apartments, Passionate Tourism, White Sands Tours & Travel, United World, Lama Desert Tours, Arabian Nights, and Dubai Parks and Resorts were amongst the participants representing the private sector.
At the event, Abdulla Saleh Al Hammadi, Director of the National Tourism Programme said, “Connectivity, hospitality, activities and new attractions have always ensured that UAE remained a top tourist destination globally. With three international airports, four national carriers, over 200,000 hotel rooms, exciting activities for all segments of travellers from family to leisure to sports to MICE to honeymooners, and new attractions being added every year, UAE has been able to retain the interest of global travellers who visit and revisit our land.”
New attractions that will come alive in the UAE in 2018 include the Dubai Frame, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, CLYMB, the world’s tallest indoor climbing wall on Yas Island, the magical world Aladdin City and Ain Dubai, the largest Ferris wheel, among others. India is one of the promising source markets and the UAE delegation was keen on building relationships and further strengthening ties with the people, especially, the tourism industry under the banner of the ‘Visit UAE’ campaign.
With approximately 21.87 million Indians embarking on outbound travels, the India outbound market story clearly displays great potential. In 2017, 2.6 million Indians visited the UAE, a growth of 13 per cent compared to the previous year. The roadshows sought to explore and showcase the many business, tourism and leisure opportunities that can be explored with the UAE.
“We are delighted by the tremendous response the roadshows have gathered across the three cities from the travel trade community in India. UAE continues to enamour the Indian traveller, and to a large extent, is the first international holiday destination for many Indians,” said Sunny Augustine, Executive Director, White Sands Tours & Travel, UAE. The UAE has always had strong historical bonds with India, in terms of its political, economic, and cultural pasts, and the roadshows are intended to deepen these ties further.
