Mumbai: As more and more Indians are flocking to the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi Tourism is stepping up its efforts to become the number one destination for visitors from the country, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority said.
"India is one of the leading source markets for Abu Dhabi. Between January-June 2014, 1,07,995 Indian guests visited Abu Dhabi, clocking a growth of 35 per cent over the same period last year. These guests delivered 4,08,862 guest nights at a growth rate of 22 per cent over the same period last year. We are targeting to become the number one destination for Indians by the end of this year," Bejan Dinshaw, Country Manager, TCA Abu Dhabi, India told.
He said, Abu Dhabi is an interesting combination of historic, cultural as well as modern offering. "Abu Dhabi is home to the charms of the Yas Island entertainment hub, Saadiyat Island cultural district, the historic Al Ain oasis and the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort luxury oasis. The response from the Indian market has been encouraging as we continue with our marketing and promotional activities encompassing the trade and consumers to drive numbers to Abu Dhabi," he added.
For U.S.-bound travellers Abu Dhabi provides hassle-free U.S. immigration at the airport. "We started this facility to tap those Indians travelling to the U.S. to visit family and friends or on business purpose to halt here and spend some time. We introduced this facility at the beginning of this year, which helped in enhancing the number of Indians visiting Abu Dhabi," he said.
The connectivity is also very important for the growth in tourism and therefore, Abu Dhabi will put in more efforts to connect to more and more Indian cities, Dinshaw said.
"We understand that more connectivity will result into more visitors. So taking this forward, Abu Dhabi will have direct flights from Kolkata from February 2015. We will continue with our efforts to connect with more and more Indian cities," he said.
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