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The number of Indian tourists visiting the Gulf states is expected to rise by 81 percent in 2024, according to Arabian Travel Market (ATM).
The number of visitors will increase from 5.4 million in 2018 to 9.8 million in 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10 percent.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “This projected growth is being supported by a number of key stakeholders in the region, from immigration initiatives and megaevents, to hotels, F&B venues, resorts, theme parks and malls – all of which appeal to Indian travellers.”
Colliers International, ATM’s official research partner, expects more than 20 percent of India’s total outbound market to travel to the GCC by 2024, with business, place of work and leisure as the reasons behind the demand.
In 2018, the UAE welcomed 2.89 million Indian tourists and the number is expected to increase to 5.29 million by 2024 at a CAGR of 11 percent, according to Colliers International. India tops the list on Dubai’s source of markets for inbound tourism, with nearly 1 million tourists in the first half of 2019.
Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait are all expected to witness an increase of 10 percent respectively between 2018 and 2024, the report said.
“Driving this growth is a new generation of leisure attractions in the GCC, relaxed visa regulations for Indian nationals, additional airline routes, increasing business opportunities, a renewed focus on Indian weddings and the MICE segment as well as the increasing popularity of adventure and eco-tourism in countries including the UAE and Oman,” Curtis said.
According to the report, Indian tourists are among the world’s highest spenders while travelling abroad, with outbound travel and tourism expenditure to increase from $21.4 billion in 2018 to $39.3 billion by 2024.
On average, Indian tourists spent $1,100 per trip made to the GCC in 2018, according to data from Euromonitor International.
ATM 2020 is being held at Dubai World Trade Centre from Sunday 19 to Wednesday 22 April 2020.
(Writing by Gerard Aoun; editing by Seban Scaria)
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