Tag Archives: India

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has commenced an official partnership with the world’s preeminent Twenty 20 cricket league, the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL). Cricket is one of the most popular sports around the world. Through this partnership, STA aims to tap into a strong fanbase between the two countries, encourage affinity and increase awareness of Saudi as a leading destination for Indian travelers, especially among young people. With more than half of its population below the age of 30, India shares a similar demographic profile with Saudi Arabia, where 58 percent of the local population is in the same age group. As part of Saudi’s tourism strategy, India represents immense potential as it is expected to be Saudi’s largest tourism source market by 2030. The partnership is a strong example of Saudi supporting the country’s Sports sector. Saudi continues to strengthen its competitive advantage in the market, and it will look to welcome more than two million visitors from India this year. IPL is one of the biggest events on the international sporting calendar and the partnership adds to a growing portfolio of STA’s global strategic relationships. Partnerships like IPL are a key pillar of Saudi’s tourism strategy as they bring fans, athletes and nations together, while sparking curiosity from those that may want to be among the first to visit Saudi as a destination. The dynamic partnership builds on Saudi’s history and love for cricket, with the first governing cricket body established in 2003. In 2020, the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF) was established and it currently looks after 16 regional associations in 11 cities, and counts 8,000+ registered players and 400+ registered clubs, with a total participation of 35,000 …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) recently concluded its Visit Abu Dhabi Roadshow in India, alongside 28 stakeholders from the UAE capital that included key airlines, cruises, hotels, attractions and DMCs. More than 800 travel trade delegates attended the roadshow across six events in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore to learn about the unique and diverse experiences Abu Dhabi offers Indian travellers, whilst at the same time paving the way for long-term partnerships in the sector. The successful events showcased the emirate as a leading tourism destination for leisure, business and incentive travel via a programme of briefings, presentations and a demonstration of the cultural experience of perfume making. This was followed by exclusive networking dinners attended by key industry professionals and buyers, held at The Oberoi (New Delhi), ITC Gardenia, a Luxury Collection Hotel (Bangalore) and Four Seasons (Mumbai). Over the week-long schedule of events, DCT Abu Dhabi showcased key destination highlights to help familiarise industry professionals with the many exciting experiences on offer at the destination including Abu Dhabi’s leading leisure and entertainment destination, Yas Island, which is home to award-winning theme parks such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. DCT Abu Dhabi stakeholders also spoke to key partners about the timeline for new developments, and the exhilarating events set to take place across the UAE capital, which include the debut of Broadway musical The Lion King, the UAE’s first-ever NBA games, UFC 281, and a performance by Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, as part of Diwali celebrations. The event, which was hosted by DCT Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Convention & Exhibition Bureau (ADCEB) in partnership with the Experience Hub, will …

Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in Oman conducted a special promotional roadshow in five major source cities in India recently. The roadshow comprised a delegation from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Omani tour operators, hotels, and airlines. These roadshows were held in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. The aim of this five city roadshow was to showcase outstanding experiences in Oman’s unique destinations and promote unique travel experiences for leisure, weddings, conferences and exhibitions. In July alone, the number of visitors, including those from India to Oman reached 36,087, the highest in the last decade. This year, arrivals from India reached 167,678 between January to July. Commenting on the launch of the promotional roadshow, Ms Asma Salim Al Hajri, Deputy Director General for Tourism Promotion at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said: “India is one of the most important source markets for the Sultanate of Oman under our marketing and promotional strategy for all target segments. The roadshow will showcase the unique selling points (USPs) of destinations in Oman that will pique their interest to inspire Indian tourists to travel.” “We also seek to promote the Sultanate as an attractive destination for weddings as this is one of the growing tourism segments, especially for visitors from India. With its pristine nature, picturesque beaches and unique architecture, Oman has seen many Indian weddings for its exceptional capabilities in terms of logistical facilities and accommodation,” she added. Al Hajri also said that the Sultanate of Oman is a multi-season destination known for its natural beauty, cultural heritage and hospitality. It has been attracting tourists of all categories for years. “We want to attract more high-income travellers from around …

As Indian flight queries for the UAE and Egypt witness a significant uptick, and the country retains its position as Dubai’s biggest source market, India’s tourism sector will be a key focus for delegates, exhibitors and attendees at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2022, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from Monday 9 to Thursday 12 May. With India’s travel industry projected to account for 29 million outbound trips per year by 2025, according to analysis from GlobalData, and ResearchandMarkets.com predicting its outbound tourism market will surpass $42 billion by the end of 2024, ATM 2022 will offer a timely opportunity to explore the vast potential offered by the country’s travel, tourism and hospitality sector. Data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) shows that the country ranked top of the emirate’s source market list for 2021, accounting for 910,000 inbound visitors, and short-haul flight queries for destinations including Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Egypt have witnessed a 30 percent uptick among Indian tourists, according to Thomas Cook (India). Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “The global pandemic had a major impact on India’s travel sector but, as our industry’s global post-pandemic recovery continues to gather pace, Indian tourists appear eager to return to their favourite Middle Eastern destinations. We are excited to explore the vast potential of this vital source market as part of our dedicated buyer forum at ATM 2022.” The number of inbound tourists travelling from India to the UAE has witnessed a 50 percent increase of late, with VFS Global processing 40,000 travel visas since Dubai reopened its borders following the pandemic. With a buyer forum dedicated exclusively to …

Dubai-based international incentives provider, the ENTERTAINER, and Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa, announced a partnership that gives Wego users access to exclusive offers across the dining, leisure, entertainment and beauty sectors. Travellers using Wego’s offers on the metasearch engine’s iOS and Android Apps will now gain access to hundreds of 2-for-1 ENTERTAINER offers. These offers, cherry-picked for their relevance to the MENA traveller, can be redeemed across a number of global locations via the Wego App. Members can benefit from these offers at select lifestyle business outlets in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Bali. Donna Benton, Founder, the ENTERTAINER, said, “Our partnership with Wego only further highlights what we believe in – appealing to all digital travellers. We want to ensure that they experience some of the best restaurants, spas and leisure activities, stress-free and at great value”. Mamoun Hmedan, Managing Director—Middle East, North Africa and India, Wego said, “This partnership is in line with our constant endeavour to give users, from around the world, the best travel shopping experience. Adding the ENTERTAINER bouquet of offers to the Wego offers regular selection of curated discounts and deals whilst reaffirming Wego’s commitment towards deepening its bond and engagement with existing users. Today, these users can avail great offers even when on holiday, rather than just securing bargains on flights and accommodation (which are booked pre-trip). Since Wego is the MENA region’s top travel App, we believe that it is best positioned to act as the natural distribution partner for the ENTERTAINER.” Tony Marshall, Head of Travel, the ENTERTAINER added, “We’re proud to be increasing the …

The Higher Organising Committee of IWAS World Games Sharjah 2019 confirmed that 1,462 participants from 50 countries are set to compete in the world’s largest wheelchair and amputee sports championship in Sharjah from February 10-16. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, the IWAS World Games has returned to the emirate for the second time after its successful debut in the city in 2011. The eighth edition of the world championship brings together seven games including archery, athletics, badminton, swimming, shooting, table tennis and wheelchair fencing. New details of the upcoming biennial sports championship were revealed at a press conference held recently at Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa. Global athletes landing in Sharjah over the next few days are set to represent 50 competing nations confirmed by the Higher Organising Committee which include the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, India, Sweden, Ukraine, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Kenya, Russia, China, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Poland, Pakistan, Norway, Kenya, Latvia, Macau, Azerbaijan, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Serbia, France, Georgia, the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Belarus and Comoros.

OYO Hotels & Homes welcomed over 100,000 guests from 78 countries across 14 properties and 20 homes in the UAE, since its launch in April last year. With this lease and full inventory control model, OYO currently manages 1,300 rooms within these properties in Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah and is set to touch 12,000 rooms by 2020. Since the first 9 months of its launch, the hotel chain has received guests from within the UAE, which accounted for 45.73 per cent of their guests and the remaining from countries such as India, Oman, Saudi Arabia, France, Russia, United States, Australia, Italy, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mauritius and United Kingdom, among several other counties. OYO aims to grow its market share through its ‘Manchise’ business model — a unique business model that combines the best of management contract and franchise agreement. Through this model, OYO aims to grow its footprint within the two-, three- and four-star hotels in the UAE.  With nearly 15.8 million overnight visitors in 2017, Dubai retained its ranking as the fourth most visited city in the world for the fourth year in a row, according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index. Dubai was ahead of Singapore, followed by New York, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Seoul. Manu Midha, Regional Head — Middle East, OYO Hotels & Homes, said, “OYO has now grown to become a preferred choice for several nationalities across the globe due to its ideal location, quality and also the price point. At the moment, we have touched around 78 countries and we are going to take this number higher due to the upcoming EXPO 2020. With 190 nations already signed up, we are confident that our …

Arabian Tea House serves traditional Emirati cooking and Arabic cuisine to its visitors, sprinkled with cultural significance and a historical setting. Visitors can indulge in delicious Emirati breakfast trays, light lunches, grills and wide variety of teas from Australia, China, India, Canada, and Czech Republic. It’s an amazing place to experience Emirati culture, replete with adorning photographs that will take you down the memory lane to the Old UAE in the 1960s. Arabian Tea House is a perfect addition to the Souq as it’s the beacon of Emirati hospitality. In the 1950s, Souq Al Shanasiyah was a thriving trading area and point of convergence for traders from neighbouring countries. Today, Souq Al Shanasiyah at the Heart of Sharjah is a heritage and trading landmark that attracts visitors and tourists by linking the past with the present and keeping a visionary perspective on the future. Keeping its reputation of a vibrant and bustling commercial hub, Souq Al Shanasiyah features multitude of products of various products. The souq has just added – Arabian Tea House to its eclectic portfolio.

flydubai has announced the launch of direct flights to Kozhikode in Kerala, India. The three-times weekly service from Dubai International (DXB) to Kozhikode Calicut International Airport (CCJ) will start from February 1, 2019. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai, commenting on the new announcement, said, “We have always been proud of the strong ties between India and the UAE. We have seen a stronger flow of trade and tourism between the two countries over the past few years. In 2017, India became the first source market to top 2 million annual visitors representing an impressive 15 per cent year-on-year increase in total number of visitors to Dubai. We are grateful for the support we have received from the Indian authorities and we remain committed to serving the market. We look forward to more opportunities to strengthen the airlinks between the two countries in the future.” Commenting on the announcement, Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, Commercial (UAE, GCC, Subcontinent and Africa), flydubai, said, “We are pleased to add Kozhikode to our network of eight destinations in India, offering greater connectivity and an unrivalled travel experience to our passengers in India. The new route will provide more passengers from India with access to Dubai and beyond via its aviation hub together with the new codeshare agreement.”

Air India Express has launched its inaugural flight from Kannur International Airport in Kerala, India, to Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH). With this, it commences three weekly flights connecting the two airports. The three weekly non-stop flights from Kannur will arrive at AUH at 11:30am and depart at 12:30pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Speaking after the inauguration, Maarten De Groof, Chief Commercial Officer, Abu Dhabi Airports, said, “We are excited to be Air India Express’ first choice for their inaugural route. India has been one of our top generators of traffic, and we are always eager to expand the airport’s connectivity to this region in response to our passengers’ needs.” The carrier provides convenient connectivity to short/medium-haul international routes in the Gulf and South East Asia at affordable fares. PA Umadevi, Airport Manager, Air India Express, said, “We are excited to bring our inaugural flight to the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi. This new destination will attract the traffic not only from the northern side of Kerala, but also from the neighbouring states of Karnataka as the airport is located at the northern part of the state and has easy access to Mysore and other states of Karnataka. Abu Dhabi Airports has provided us all support, as always, to ensure our customers’ satisfaction and meet the rising demand in the Abu Dhabi market.”