Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Apr 12, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Apr 12, 2002 |
|
|
|
|
|
Marketing
-
Promotions & Offers Variety - Tourism More Indian tourists head for Dubai Our Bureau
CHENNAI, April 11 DUBAI is gaining in popularity as a tourist destination for Indians. This is borne out by the fact that 2.18 lakh Indians visited the Emirate in 2001 as against 2.14 lakh in the previous year, says Mr Ibrahim Ahli, Manager (Overseas Promotions), Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai. Mr Ahli told Business Line here that the DTCM had 15 participants including travel agents and 10 five-star hotels as participants in this year's round of road shows as against seven participants in 2000. Apart from the four metros, DTCM is conducting a road show in Hyderabad also this year. According to Mr Ahli, of the foreign tourists visiting Dubai, Indians accounted for the third largest group following visitors from the GCC countries and the UK. The 55 direct flights of Emirates, Dubai's national airline, operating from India were not enough to service the demand, he added. DTCM wants to project Dubai as something more than a "shopping paradise". Mr Ahli said its culture, heritage, hotels, restaurants, desert attractions, cruises, beach, golf courses and convention facilities were increasingly attracting tourists and businesspeople to Dubai. The Dubai Government is building a huge convention centre, which is expected to be ready by 2003. It is expanding its airport, besides building more golf courses and accommodation to attain its goal of attracting 15 million visitors by 2010. While businesspeople and shoppers formed the bulk of Indian tourists, that profile was now changing with more families and honeymooners opting for a holiday in Dubai. Apart from star hotels, there are affordable hotel apartments available for tourists on a budget. More than 30,000 rooms were available in over 397 hotels and hotel apartments, Mr Ahli said.
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
|
Stories in this Section |
|
The Hindu Group: Home | About Us | Copyright | Archives | Contacts | Subscription Group Sites: The Hindu | Business Line | The Sportstar | Frontline | Home |
Copyright © 2002, The
Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of
this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of
The Hindu Business Line
|