Dubai: Emirates passengers may apply online for 96-hour and 30-day entry visas to Dubai through its website, a move analysts say will give UAE tourism a significant boost.
The visa applications will be an extension of the online flight booking process on Emirates.com and can be accessed by Emirates ticket holders in 35 countries, the airline said yesterday.
"Advancements in aviation are often related to simplifications in the travel process," said Emirates divisional senior vice president of commercial operations worldwide Richard Vaughan.
"I'm delighted Emirates is advancing travel convenience by allowing its customers to apply, purchase and track their UAE visa online — another initiative in a series of self-service tools that offer more convenience, flexibility and control to passengers."
Pre-requisites
The entry visas are available subject to passengers meeting all pre-requisites stipulated by the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD).
A 96-hour visa will cost $44 and a 30-day visa will cost $57 and service fees will be applied separately, Emirates said.
Once the application is approved the visas will be delivered via e-mail within four international working days.
"This demonstrates our ongoing commitment to Dubai and its tourism industry," Vaughan said.
Statistics from the Dep-artment of Tourism and Commerce Marketing show that last year Dubai saw 7.58 million visitors, a growth of one per cent. The numbers in the first quarter this year improved slightly on a yearly basis.
"Any move that the companies and the government in Dubai can make to encourage tourism at the moment is very welcome. The market has become much more competitive worldwide and Dubai must compete with other destinations. If Dubai want to pull in tourists, it needs the draw to pull them in. Cutting the red tape and easing bureaucracy will do this," Guy Wilkinson, partner at Viability, told Gulf News.
