(TAN): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced multiple-entry tourist visa that will be valid for five years for all nationalities earlier this month, reports said. The move, that was reportedly taken in order to improve the tourism sector of the country, had effects on businesses associated with the travel industry.
Indian hotel chain Oyo Homes & Hotels said the scheme will turn out to be a “game-changer” for UAE’s already flourishing hospitality sector, a Trade Arabia report said.
According to the report, Oyo UAE started receiving enquiries from around the world after the decision was made known to the public.
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“We have observed a significant increase in the number of both leisure and business visitors since the last quarter of 2019 due to the busy Mice sector in UAE. We are gearing up for the busy months ahead of us leading up to the mega Expo 2020. With this new five-year multiple entry visa rule, we expect a steep increase in tourist arrivals from across the globe,” Pranav Mehta, Country Head, Oyo Hotels & Homes, UAE was quoted by Trade Arabia as saying.
“As the country pavilions are being constructed at the Expo site, we expect a large number of business travellers and executives visiting our properties during this phase. This will be followed by a mix of leisure and business travellers as we progress towards the last quarter of 2020,” he added.
Mehta also said that business travellers from India and China, among other nations, were growing owing to the improving trade relationship between the UAE and these countries.
“We have seen a rise in numbers with regard to business travellers, particularly from India and China due to the growing trade relationship between UAE and these two Asian nations. At the moment, we are also experiencing a growth in numbers from other GCC countries, Africa, Europe, UK and the US,” Trade Arabia quoted him.
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While Oyo Rooms, the world’s fastest growing company and sixth largest hotel chain with over 23,000 hotels in more than 800 cities in 18 countries, welcomed the more relaxed visa policy by the UAE government, Philippines’ flag-carrier Cebu Pacific reportedly offered base fare starting from AED 1 (USD 0.27 approximately) from Dubai after the decision was announced. Passengers will be able to fly on the discounted tickets between July 1 and December 31, 2020, according to a report.
The airline said the scheme made it convenient for Filipinos working in the UAE to bring their families to the country more frequently, thanks to the policy, a report said.
Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority reportedly said the new visa scheme will boost VFR (visiting friends and relatives) segment tourism to Sharjah.
The newly introduced policy is expected to draw visitors to the Gulf nation from across the world at a time when the country is gearing up for the next 50 years of development. Mexican travellers, especially, will find it easier to visit the UAE as the country reportedly waived visas for Mexican citizens earlier this year.
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The decision was taken during the UAE Cabinet’s first meeting at the 2020 the Year of Preparation, which was chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as per reports.
The UAE’s ambassador to Mexico, Ahmed Hatem Al Menhali, reportedly said that Mexican visitors could travel to the UAE whenever they had a ticket.
“Now Mexicans can also go to the UAE without visas. Things are very smooth for businessmen and tourists in both countries. They don’t have to go to the embassy or wait for visas. If they get a ticket, they can come or go,” Menhali was quoted by Arabian Business as saying.
UAE reportedly received about 21 million tourists in 2019, with 15 million of them visiting during the first half of the year. In 2018, the tourism sector accounted for 11.1% of the country’s total economy, contributing AED 164.7 billion to its Gross Domestic Product, according to data from the World Travel & Tourism Council – touted to be quite an achievement in “UAE Vision 2021”. As per reports, forecasts for 2027 are aimed at AED 234 billion.
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“Dubai is set to attract 25 million visitors in the upcoming years, and these visitors will comprise of a mix of trade and leisure visitors. However, irrespective of the nature of the visitors the city will require quality hotels to accommodate them. We are aiming at increasing our portfolio month-on-month and support the city with this exponentially growing demand,” Mehta was quoted by Trade Arabia as saying.
The approval came before Expo 2020, a big-budget trade fair, that is scheduled to be held in Dubai in October, reports said. The location of Expo 2020 will reportedly be a 438-hectare area between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Under the new system, visitors of any nationality will be able to obtain a five-year multiple-entry visa and stay in the UAE for six months at a stretch, reports said. Earlier, the UAE tourist visas were reportedly valid for only 30 to 90 days.
