Dubai: The Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) is coming to the UAE and tour operators have already rolled out special packages for Indian visitors that plan to attend the IPL matches.
The IPL will be held from April 16 to 30. Dubai is set to host seven of the IPL’s 20 matches starting from April 19, while Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will host the rest of the matches.
“Dubai’s hosting of the IPL is a significant boost to the emirate’s fast growing tourism sector –enhancing our unrivalled destination offer as it also bolsters the local tourism and hospitality industry,” Hamad Mohammed Bin Mejren, executive director of business tourism at Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, told Gulf News in an emailed statement.
At Lama Tours, travellers can stay for three nights at a hotel in Dubai, tour the city, visit Dubai Museum and go on a desert safari and dhow cruise. In Abu Dhabi, tourists can also tour the city and go on a desert safari, as well as visit Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Prices for the Abu Dhabi packages are from $389 to $555.
“We have already confirmed several groups for the IPL matches, and a lot of individual bookings are being processed,” said Kulwant Singh, Lama Tours’ managing director.
With a starting price of $200 per person, Alpha Tours’ package includes a four-night stay at a hotel and free transportation to the IPL matches’ location. Packages for different events account for around five per cent of Alpha Tours’ revenue, according to Samir Hamadeh, the company’s general manager.
He expects revenue from events packages, which were introduced by the company last year, to grow by 50 per cent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, there are others who are not too keen to cash in on the sports bonanza. When contacted by Gulf News, travel companies including dnata, Emirates Holidays, Air Arabia Holidays, Al Futtaim Travel and Al Tayer Travel Agency said that they will not sell packages for the IPL.
India is one of the UAE’s top source markets. Last year, Dubai attracted 888,835 Indian hotel guests, up 16.3 per cent over 2012, while Abu Dhabi welcomed 175,929 guests — a 27 per cent increase.
Sports events, which attract tourists to the host country, have “a lot of economic benefits through the money generated through these events,” said Christopher Hewett, senior consultant at TRI Hospitality Consulting.
The UAE has hosted several sports events, such as Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai World Cup, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens.
