17% increase in Indian visitors to Dubai in Jan-Mar 2016

Mumbai: The number of overnight visitors to Dubai from India increased 17 per cent to 4,67,000 in January-March, the Dubai government said.

"Dubai welcomed 4.1 million overnight visitors in the first three months of 2016, a 5.1 per cent increase over the same period last year, backed by strong double digit growth from its top two proximity markets, the GCC and India," Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said.

India, it said, was a key driver of tourism volume with the sub-continent growing at 17 percent in the opening quarter to deliver 4,67,000 overnight visitors, making it the second largest feeder country, followed by Pakistan, in the region.

"Global travel in the first three months of this year has been impacted by geo-political, social and economic uncertainties, with most markets experiencing flat to negative growth. I see Dubai's highly agile, fragmented source market approach, the strength of our government, public and private sector partnerships, as well as our effective promotional and marketing outreach as having been fundamental to fuelling overall growth," Dubai Tourism Director General Helal Saeed Almarri said.

Markets within the four-hour flight path, specifically the GCC and India, remain a critical focus for Dubai's on-going visitation attraction efforts, he added.

Dubai aims to increase the number of Indian tourists through tailored events, attractions and experiences designed to appeal to a broad range of segments.