The United Arab Emirates and its capital city of Abu Dhabi are making moves to bolster trade and cultural ties as well as tourism by playing host to a number of initiatives in the countdown to Expo 2020, with India likely to be one of the main focal points.
India will most likely be the main market at the annual retail event, which normally has millions of visitors attending.
To recognise how significant Indian culture is in the UAE and elsewhere in the region, Diwali and Republic Day 2021 are to be celebrated during Expo 2020, with the site offering a number of unique events.
This year’s India Pavilion, situated within the Opportunity District, has a theme of ‘Future is in India’ and will help define the potential of the country to become a worldwide power via talent, tradition, technology, trade and tourism.
This gels with the Expo’s overall theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, the belief that people and ideas combining in unique new ways creates progress and innovation.
The pavilion is intended to highlight the strength of India in regard to start-ups and innovation in technology industries such as fintech and AI in addition to hospitality and tourism, pharmaceuticals, renewable energy, telecom, space and IT.
Visitors will be able to explore a dynamic new India that is built on equal opportunities and diversity while also being able to explore art installations displaying the nation’s space story.
The cultural diversity in India will also be reflected with food festivals, music and dance, and literary shows.
The pavilion is also intended to be a reflection of ‘New India’, and will showcase the aspirations of the nation’s youth in addition to its strength in terms of human resources.
There are over 120 Indian employees set to be working at Expo 2020, and around 3.42 million non-resident Indians currently live in the UAE, according to Abu Dhabi’s Embassy of India.
India has been a priority for the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) for a long time, says the DCT Abu Dhabi destination marketing director Saeed Al Saeed, with the Indian market set to play a major role in the future shaping of its strategy.
India is to receive consistent marketing investment, with a trade roadshow later this year and trade partnerships involving a social marketing and digital presence.
In an attempt to bolster Abu Dhabi and India tourism industry ties, organised meetings have also been arranged with key tour operators.
DCT Abu Dhabi’s tourism and marketing acting executive director Ali Hassan Al Shaiba says that they are committed to close collaboration with the travel trade in India, with the intention being to increase still further the number of visitors to the capital this year.
India has created the ideal platform in which to showcase the tourism strategy for this year, including the much-anticipated Expo 2020.
Anyone who is travelling from the UAE to India or vice versa should take out travel insurance to guard against cancelled flights and falling ill while overseas.
