The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has signed nine joint marketing partnerships with Indian travel companies to attract 75,500 additional visitors to the emirate.The agreements were signed at Arabian Travel Market as Abu Dhabi seeks to strengthen connections with India, its largest overseas source market. The partnerships cover periods ranging from one year to 18 months and involve travel companies including MakeMyTrip, Thrillophilia, Akbar Holidays, RezLive, Utazzo Holidays, Holiday Tribe, TravClan, Pickyourtrail and GNRconnect.com.MakeMyTrip has signed the largest agreement, targeting 37,500 visitors to Abu Dhabi over 18 months. Thrillophilia and Akbar Holidays are expected to bring 11,000 and 10,000 visitors, respectively, over the same period.Under one-year agreements, RezLive and Utazzo Holidays will target 3,500 visitors each, while Holiday Tribe is expected to bring 3,000 visitors. TravClan and Pickyourtrail have each committed to 2,500 visitors, while GNRconnect.com will target 2,000 visitors.The partnerships were announced at Arabian Travel Market, where DCT Abu Dhabi is promoting the emirate across arts, culture, cuisine, entertainment and shopping.India was Abu Dhabi’s number one overseas source market in 2025 and has continued to be a key source market in 2026. Indian visitors accounted for 13% of Abu Dhabi’s hotel guests in 2025, with the number reaching 436,124, a 22% year-on-year increase.The growth has been supported by increasing airline connectivity between India and Abu Dhabi, along with demand linked to major events and attractions. These include concerts, annual events such as the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and seasonal marketing campaigns around Diwali and Eid.DCT Abu Dhabi has also undertaken destination marketing initiatives in India, including an ambassador campaign featuring actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone.The latest agreements are aimed at further expanding visitor flows from India through joint marketing activity with travel companies and strengthening Abu Dhabi’s presence in one of its key international tourism markets.
