From boardrooms to beaches: Here's how UAE corporate travelers embrace leisure during their journeys
People traveling from all over the world now stop in Dubai for meetings and business transactions.
'Bleisure' tourism is a new idea that is emerging as the travel sector picks up speed after Covid. According to specialists in the travel industry, this mix of work and leisure travel is gradually establishing itself as not just popular but also financially wise.
According to Sachin Gadoya, CEO and co-founder of musafir.com and Musafir Business, about 20% of corporate travelers from the region mix business with pleasure.
According to predictions, this number will increase by 15% in the coming years, Gadoya continued.
According to experts, this shift is obvious as people extend their work travels by one to two extra days for pleasure, and vice versa. Saudi Arabia, the UK, the USA, Japan, Europe, and other GCC nations are the most popular places for business travelers to go from the UAE. Forecasts indicate that these journeys will cover more places and have longer lengths, according to experts.
Stopover in Dubai
Experts have also observed that people traveling from other regions of the world now stop in Dubai for meetings and business transactions.
"A corporation needed to set up a meeting, and they decided on Dubai because of its advantageous location. People from the Far East and the Far West hold meetings here, saving time and money in the process,
according to Firoz Maliyakkal, founder and CEO of Tahira Tours and Travels.
According to analysts, the average cost of business travel inside the GCC is between Dh3,500 and Dh4,000, and this trend is predicted to last through 2024. However, corporate travel in the summertime mainly consists of departures from the UAE. According to Gadoya,
"reputable business travel locations including Europe, the USA, and South East Asia expertly serve the varied needs of corporate globetrotters, with ticket rates ranging between Dh5,500 and Dh6,000 for these regions.
Due to different events in the city, such as COP28, experts predict an increase in inbound travel in the upcoming winter months.
"And the leisure activities the country has to offer are abundant,"
added Maliyakkal.
The region is preparing to offer a wide variety of events, from the exhilarating Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to engaging art exhibitions, mega exhibitions and conferences, electric concerts, energizing marathons, and lively beach festivals.
"Dubai Skydive, water sports, visiting Qasr Al Watan, Museum of the Future, and much more are the leisure activities that are in high demand for business travelers in the UAE,"
added Maliyakkal.
News Source: Khaleej Times