Tourism & Hospitality | Tuesday 15 September, 2015 5:06 am |

On May 6 earlier this year, The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the European Union (EU) had signed a reciprocal bilateral short-stay visa waiver agreement, exempting the UAE citizens from Schengen visa. The Schengen Area comprises 26 European countries, including Switzerland. This made UAE the first Arab country to receive such a visa waiver for its citizens, giving them access to 34 European countries, including 26 Schengen States, for stays up to 90 days. 

 

This was a moment of pride for UAE and to mark this great occasion, the Digital Tourism Think Tank has collaborated with Geneva Tourism and Conventions Bureau to bring an exciting one-day event on the GCC Market: "Digital and Open for Business”. The event was hosted at the magnificent Parc des Eaux-Vives in Geneva, where a range of experts from across the industry came together to share their insights and knowledge. The primary theme of the event was to take a detailed look at the online travel market and the individual needs of the GCC market. 

 

Apart from Geneva Tourism, some of the other big names who participated in the workshop were Switzerland Tourism, ETOA and Phocuswright. The workshop discussed the ground-breaking opportunities this new development had opened up for the European tourism industry to tap into. According to a survey conducted by Zurich Insurance earlier this year, Europe came as the most preferred destination for UAE residents who plans to escape the heat this summer. Around three quarters (72%) of UAE residents said they would love to spend the summer season in Europe. “Now with the Visa exemption, European countries are expecting a strong boost to further increase their tourism revenues from UAE”, said Nicolas Hall – CEO of Digital Tourism Think Tank. “Inbound tourism to Geneva from the GCC has witnessed a steady increase over the past few years. With initiatives such as the GCC Market Workshop, Geneva will continue to be the pioneer destination for the region”, added Philippe Vignon – CEO Geneva Tourism and Congress Foundation. 

 

“Through this event, we helped travel agents and tourism experts understand the strength of UAE as a source of tourism revenue. It was also a great chance for them to get an in depth look at the current trends, GCC tourism characteristics and travel habits”, said Tamara Tawil, Market Manager - Overseas Countries at Geneva Tourism. The event received tremendous response from all the attendees and was an eye-opener for many.