TravTalk India Online Magazine
Addressing a session at ATM 2024, Alhasan Aldabbagh, President APAC, Saudi Tourism Authority, said that they have introduced a 96-hour visa for Indians possessing the US, UK or Schengen visa, while Markus Tan, Regional Director, India, South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Singapore Tourism Board, asserted that they keep updating their offerings to attract Indians.
Dr Shehara Rizly
Starting off the session on ‘Strategies to entice Indian tourists’ at Arabian Travel Market 2024 in Dubai, Alhasan Aldabbagh, President APAC, Saudi Tourism Authority, shared that India is an important source market for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as both countries share a range of similarities and there is a convenience of travel. “India is just four hours away from Saudi Arabia and we can see the growth of the Middle class (in India) is very strong. We have a diverse offering for travellers from India, from mountains to desert lands, to the Red Sea, experiences which include great cuisine and different types of food,” he said at the session, which was moderated by SanJeet, CEO, DDP Group.
Aldabbagh said that travellers from the two destinations seek somewhat similar expectations. “The burgeoning Middle Class in India brings in a new set of travellers to Saudi Arabia. Hence, the Kingdom is more than happy to welcome Indians to explore its rich culture and history,” he said, adding that the diverse offerings in the Kingdom will amaze the Indian travellers.
Addressing the gathering, Markus Tan, Regional Director, India, South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Singapore Tourism, shared that India has been a lucrative market for them over many years in terms of leisure, business and even M!CE travellers. “Singapore is a hub in the Asian region and is well known for its infrastructure, diverse offerings to travellers, it is home to world famous theme parks, catering to the requirements from guests across the globe,” he said.
Tan said that Singapore keeps updating its offerings and striving to make the destination more sustainable, whether it is upgradation of Changi Airport or various other features. Singapore attracts more visitors from India and across the world with all its international travel trade exhibitions, he added.
At the session, Aldabbagh highlighted that they have simplified the process to enter the Kingdom. The new visa, especially 96-hour visa, which is a stopover visa, could be obtained by Indians if one has a valid US, UK or Schengen visa, to get access to the Kingdom. It was an interesting session as the audience was able to learn a lot more about Saudi Arabia from visa rules to the weather patterns, cuisine, and different cultures.
According to the latest FINN Partners report on future of travel under the theme ‘Impulse and affluence: Understanding spending trends among India’s young globetrotters’ it was revealed that 42 per cent of young Indians are making their travel decisions for today instead of dreaming about making their outbound travel options for someday. It is also a known fact that the percentage of outbound travellers from India is not yet at its full strength. A few months ago, Booking.com and McKensey stated that only 1 per cent of Indians have been travelling overseas. Dubai took the first leap in attracting Indians with all its grandeur whilst Singapore and Thailand enjoy a great deal of visitors from India due to their proximity.
