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Since May 6, UAE passport holders have been eligible for visa on arrival to 26 countries in Europe
Dubai: Europe is expected to become increasingly popular among Emirati holidaymakers who were granted visa on arrival to the European Schengen area earlier this month.
Since May 6, UAE passport holders have been eligible for visa on arrival to 26 countries in Europe; including France, Germany and Italy, for up to 90 days within a six-month period. Previously, Emiratis had to apply for the visa in advance.
"This will definitely benefit the traffic and relationship between UAE and European Union," said Al Futtaim Travel General Manager, Micky Bhatia, by email.
The new visa on arrival scheme will give the flexibility for Emiratis to visit more European countries in one visit as they tend to finalise their travel plans shortly before their departure date, Bhatia added.
The 26 Schengen countries do not include the United Kingdom or Ireland but does include Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are not part of the European Union. It also includes microstates San Marino, Vatican and Monaco, which are bordered by Schengen area countries.
A spokesperson for Etihad Airways said by email that the new visa regime will make travel easier for UAE nationals traveling to Europe on short breaks. In the UAE, many public holidays are announced at short notice so European trips would now be convenient under the new visa regime.
The new visa agreement will also benefit two airlines that Etihad owns significant stakes in; Italy's Alitalia and Germany's Air Berlin, who both fly to Abu Dhabi.
Aage Duenhaupt, senior vice-president communication at Air Berlin, told Gulf News by phone that as the only airline serving the UAE-Berlin route, it is looking forward to attracting more Emiratis on its flights.
Air Berlin also flies from Dusseldorf to Abu Dhabi and codeshares on Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Germany.
Lufthansa's UAE General Manager, Karsten Zang, said the Group, which also includes Swiss and Austrian Airlines, is "convinced" there will be an increase in passenger sales by Emiratis.
Emirates, one of the world's largest airlines, said by email that said it expects that the "added convenience" of the new Schengen visa regime "to see a positive increase in travel to the 17 Schengen countries" that it operates to.
Flydubai, which flies to two Schengen countries, Prague in Czech Republic and Bratislava in Slovakia, is also bullish of an upswing in Emirati passengers to Schengen Europe. A spokesperson for the airline said by email that Prague and Bratislava are "popular" among Emirati travellers but that the new visa rules "has increased that possibility of year round travel options into Europe".
© Gulf News 2015
