Indians, Chinese get UAE multiple entry visas

The UAE has started issuing multiple entry visa to Indians and Chinese cruise tourists, a senior Dubai government official told Emirates 24|7.

“We have recently started issuing multiple entry visa to Indians and Chinese cruise travellers,” said Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, adding, overall there has been a good increase in tourists from India and China.

Asked if the multiple entry visa was planned for Indians arriving through airports, he said they had proposed such facility, but it was a federal issue and was being dealt at the federal level.

In August 2014, the UAE introduced regulatory changes to its visa system allowing new multiple entry tourism permit for cruise passengers and for medical tourists and their companions.

The new multiple entry tourism permit for cruise passengers costs Dh200 and makes travel more cost-effective and logistically more convenient with particular impact on a number of key markets for which previous regulations made the cost significantly higher, including India, China, Russia & CIS, South Africa and Brazil.

DTCM India expects the introduction of multi-entry visa will increase the length of stay of travellers to the emirate.

In 2013, Dubai received a total of 888,835 Indian hotel guests, representing growth of 16 per cent over the corresponding period of 2012.

Dubai’s cruise season, which runs from October 2014 through to June 2015, will see a total of 110 cruise ship calls carrying more than 381,000 passengers arriving in the city.

Passenger numbers are set to rise by 19 per cent on the 2013/2014 season, meaning an additional 60,000 sea-travellers will embark, disembark or transit at Mina Rashid, Dubai.

This season, the number of vessels using Dubai Cruise Terminal as their home port will increase to six and these vessels are expected to make a total of 83 trips in comparison to 63 trips in the 2013-14 season.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.