Daily Times

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is making significant strides to increase tourist arrivals from Pakistan, with an ambitious plan for continued growth in 2024.

With Dubai welcomed 13.90 million international visitors from January to October 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic performance of attracting 13.50 million visitors for the same period in 2019.

Pakistan currently stands among Dubai’s top 10 source markets, delivering a noteworthy year-to-date visitation of 254,000 overnight visitors from January to October, said a news release here on Tuesday.

DET’s recent series of impactful roadshow workshops for tour operators in key cities like Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Sialkot underscores its dedication to forging direct connections with the Pakistani travel industry. These workshops serve as a cornerstone in DET’s strategy to redefine travel experiences and cement Dubai’s position as a preferred destination.

The workshops provided a platform to empower tour operators with enhanced destination knowledge, enabling them to effectively position Dubai among various traveller segments, including leisure, corporate, and incentive groups.

In 2023, DET scaled its efforts in the Pakistani market with the impactful ‘Chalo Dubai’ campaign, strategically designed to elevate awareness of Dubai’s diverse offerings in entertainment, gastronomy, and lifestyle propositions.

Regional Head Bader Ali Habib, Proximity Markets at DET, highlights the workshops’ importance, stating, “Dubai is not just a destination; it’s an immersive experience tailored to individual preferences said adding that our goal is to create a personal connection with each visitor, offering experiences that resonate on a deeper level.

He said that these workshops are a pivotal initiative to directly engage with tour operators, the architects of travellers’ experiences.

This marks our first in-market event in Sialkot and Faisalabad, demonstrating our keen interest in growing our business from these cities, given their direct connectivity to Dubai, he added.

Currently, he said that Dubai has direct flights from 8 cities in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Quetta, Multan, and Sialkot. This direct connectivity is a testament to Dubai’s commitment to facilitating convenient travel for Pakistani visitors.