Today's Edition
Khaled Al Khawaldeh (Abu Dhabi)
A new survey by global accounting and consultancy firm KPMG has found that 70% of surveyed Indian tourists were considering extending their stay in the UAE thanks to relaxed visa conditions.
Late last year, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) announced that Indian nationals with valid tourist visas, residency permits or a green card from the US, UK and EU were eligible for a 14-day visa on entry which could be extended to 60 days.
In a sign of the reforms success the rules have now been expanded to include those with permits from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
According to KPMG, the new visa conditions were likely to substantially boost tourism in the country which is home to approximately 4 million Indian expats.
KPMG's latest "Dubai Hospitality report" released last week highlighted several other factors that were aiding in the rapid growth of tourism in the country, including the rising popularity of cruise ship tours.
According to KPMG's survey, 62% of people were likely to book a cruise in 2025, with many looking for reputation as well as access to a variety of ports as being key to their choice. The report highlighted the UAE's growing potential as a key cruise stop thanks to its central location and highly developed maritime infrastructure.
The report also highlighted the growing international conference and event calendar as a catalyst for the continued growth of tourism in the country. The study highlighted events such as Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, GITEX and the Dubai World Cup as key attractors of foreign visitors.
Moreover, the report forecast that the rising popularity of staycations would also contribute to greater tourist footfall. According to KPMG, staycations rose substantially year-on-year in the last Eid Al Fitr holiday period, a rise they expect will continue as the number of attractions around the emirates diversified.
KPMG's analysis also highlighted the growing importance of ICT integration, with 77% of respondents saying they had used online and mobile channels to book their stay and 92% saying they were satisfied with the experience.
