Dubai Tourism conducted its Dubai Tourism Roadshow 2024 in Jakarta last week to boost inbound arrivals from Indonesia and meet its 2024 target of 100,000 travellers from the South-east Asian market.
B2B tabletop meetings were held between 10 Dubai travel-related companies and some 100 Indonesia outbound travel companies.
Dubai recorded 75,000 arrivals from Indonesia in 2023, which was 36 per cent higher than the previous year.
Shahab Shayan, regional director, Asia Pacific and Turkey at Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET), remarked that tourist arrivals from Indonesia have been rising continuously – Indonesian travellers were still holidaying in Dubai during the pandemic, demonstrating the potential of Indonesia as one of Dubai’s key source markets in South-east Asia.
He added: “Looking ahead, Dubai Tourism will continue to engage industry stakeholders and collaborate more to position Dubai as a preferred tourist destination for Indonesians.”
Christian Sidharta, manager (Indonesia) at Dubai Tourism, shared that the roadshow highlighted new and upcoming attractions, including The Museum of the Future, The View of the Palm, Hatta Mountain, AYA Universe, and Siro Dubai.
“There is misconception that travelling to Dubai is boring because (there is) nothing new. We want to correct this by educating the agents that there is always something new, and (there are) many varieties of products, so they can develop new itineraries,” said Christian.
Another key message was that Dubai is the city for everyone, with more midscale hotels than upscale ones.
Christian pointed out that while “Dubai is historically known as an ultra-luxury destination”, it can be “affordable” and can cater to all types of travellers.
Khairul Sofwan, director of Safa Tours and Travels, told TTG Asia that Dubai’s luxury experiences were highly sought after by his clients, who loved touring in a Rolls Royce or on a helicopter, and would stay for five days and four nights.
The challenge for Khairul, however, is in creating itineraries for repeat high-end clients who are looking for more unique experiences, not just the new attractions that Dubai has showcased.
