· 37% of India’s total outbound market will
travel to GCC by 2022
· UAE and Saudi Arabia to lead
comparative growth, witnessing a 6% increase in Indian arrivals by 2022
The
number of Indian visitors travelling to the GCC over the coming five years will
create an extra 10.8 million room nights, according to data published ahead of Arabian Travel
Market 2019 (ATM), which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre
from 28 April – 1 May 2019.
The
latest research published by Colliers International
predicts around nine million Indians will travel to the GCC by 2022 – 37% of
India’s total outbound market – with business, place of work and leisure
underpinning this demand.
Indian
outbound tourists will account for 22.5 million worldwide tourists in 2018,
with reports from the UNWTO estimating this figure will increase by 122% to
reach over 50 million by 2022.
Adding
to this, Indian tourists are among the world’s highest spenders per visit made
abroad, with visitor spend expected to increase from US$23 billion in 2018 to US$45
billion by 2022.
Danielle Curtis,
Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Despite recent weak Rupee
exchange rates, which have seen the Rupee lose around 14% of its value against
the US dollar over the last 12 months, the Indian outbound market has continued
to grow at an average annual growth rate of 10-12% over the last seven years.
“The
GCC has benefited from this trend with Indian travellers’ willingness and ability
to spend on outbound travel supported by the country’s pace-setting 7% GDP
growth and a new generation of leisure attractions in the GCC as well as
increased business opportunities and relaxed visa regulations for Indian
nationals.
“We
are witnessing this growth first hand with Indian visitors to ATM increasing 27%
YoY between 2017 and 2018.”
In
2017, the UAE welcomed 2.3 million Indian tourists, accounting for 13% of its
total annual visitors, with this figure expected to increase at a Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7% to 2022.
India retained top spot on Dubai’s list of source markets for
inbound tourism, with over 1 million Indian tourists arriving in the emirate
during the first half of 2018, registering a 3 per cent rise over the same
period in 2017. Relaxed visa restrictions and the introduction
of a free two-day transit visa have contributed to this growth.
According
to ATM’s official research partner, Colliers International, Saudi Arabia will
also experience a comparative growth of 7% - while the remaining GCC countries,
Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain will all witness an increase of 6% between 2018 and
2022.
Curtis,
said: “The influx of Indian visitors to the GCC shows no sign of abating, with
every reason to believe India will maintain its position as a top source
market, moving forward.
“Supporting
this demand, in the UAE alone, there are currently 1,065 weekly flights to
India corresponding to 130,000 seats per week. Meanwhile, on-going bilateral
talks are continuing to take place to increase airline frequency between India
and all GCC countries.”
Looking
to the future, the Colliers research suggests India will rank as the world’s
youngest country demographically, with 65% of the total population categorised
as Gen X or Gen Y by 2025.
“A
rapidly growing younger population combined with a burgeoning middle class –
currently representing 350 million of India’s total population – who have an
increasing amount of disposable income, provide strong indications that the
country will continue to see a steep rise in the number of nationals travelling
abroad over the coming years,” Curtis added.
ATM
2019 had adopted cutting-edge technology and innovation as its main theme and
this will be integrated across all show verticals and activities, including focused
seminar sessions, featuring dedicated exhibitor participation.
ATM
– considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and
North Africa tourism sector, welcomed over 39,000 people to its 2018 event,
showcasing the largest exhibition in the history of the show, with hotels
comprising 20% of the floor area.
