With over 400 million millennials in India, GCC hotel brands and travel exhibitors at the Arabian Travel Market 2018 (ATM) plan to capitalise on this growing tourist market.
The survey, conducted by Indian online travel website yatra.com, showed that out of its 1,592 respondents, 66% were planning to travels for seven days or less but travel frequently, and 43% of those respondents were millennials.
ATM senior exhibition director Simon Press said in a statement: “In terms of short break deals and offers, this is sure to alert travel professionals and hoteliers throughout the GCC, being in such close proximity to their Indian neighbour."
“The travel time from Mumbai to Dubai, in particular, is just over three hours, and from Mumbai to Muscat, just under three hours, putting both cities on the radar as prime short break destinations,” Press added.
In the survey, Dubai came out on top as a prime destination for Indian travellers. In the first three quarters on 2017, the emirate recorded 1.478 million Indian travellers — a 20% jump from the same period in 2016.
According to the survey, some travellers were prepared to spend over AED 2,845 (US $775) on a trip, they preferred to stay in budget hotels.
With regards to survey results, Emaar Hospitality Group chief executive officer Olivier Harnisch said: “The findings of the survey will further energise the UAE’s hospitality sector to diversify their offering – as we do at Emaar Hospitality Group – to offer unique choices that appeal to the young travellers.”
Currently, there are 18 direct flights from Mumbai to Dubai, 11 to Abu Dhabi, six to Oman, four to Kuwait, three to Riyadh and two each to Jeddah and Bahrain.
ATM 2018, which is celebrating its 25th year, will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22-25 2018.
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