Fostered by the new flights launched by Air India Express from different corners of India, as well as new attractions expected to open in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Culture & Tourism – Abu Dhabi is expecting double digit growth from India. Haitham Ali Khamis, Director, DCT – Abu Dhabi, says, “India ranks among the top three markets for Abu Dhabi. Last year, we saw over 436,000 hotel guests and a big chunk of it was the VFR segment. Going forward, we expect to see double-digit growth from the market. We definitely see growth from tier II cities of India apart from the metros. For the last few years, we have been strategically expanding our reach into India, not just the metro cities, but also tier II and III cities. The teams are exploring different markets, engaging with the travel trade. And that is what is driving the 22 per cent year-on-year growth for us. We are already doing trade engagements in these tier cities,” Ali Khamis says.
With over 17 years of experience in the B2B travel and hospitality sector, she brings deep insight into travel trade dynamics, industry challenges and market developments. She holds an MA in English Literature and a Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, which underpin her strong editorial expertise. An avid nature enthusiast, she prefers outdoor and adventure-led travel, including hiking and trekking.