By Shaneer N. Siddiqui Dubai, Dec 10 : At least 1.24 million Indian tourists visited Dubai in the first nine months of 2022, the highest among all foreign nationalities visiting Dubai. India to the UAE is the 10th busiest corridor globally for families booking during the festive season, according to analytics released by Saber Corporation, the largest portal for air bookings in North America. A new survey says that during this festive season, the UAE has become a very popular global destination among travellers, especially from India. Being one of the most popular overseas destinations for Indian tourists, India remains the largest international travel source market for Dubai. According to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the number of Indian tourists visiting Dubai has more than doubled to 8.58 lakh in the first half of 2021 from January-June 2022 as compared to a year-ago period of 4.09 lakh. If we talk about the figures, so far in 2022, Dubai has achieved the figure of $29.4 billion only from the currency spent by tourists, which has topped the list of cities with the most spending by international visitors in tourism receipts in 2022. Now the condition has become like before Corona, then on the basis of statistics, it is expected that the number of tourists coming in the last quarter should be more than 4 million. In 2019, the number of visitors to Dubai was 16.7 million. According to data released by the Department of Economy and Tourism Dubai, 1.24 million Indian tourists visited the emirate in the first nine months of 2022, the highest among all foreign nationalities. Of the 6.8 million tourist arrivals in Dubai in the last 9 months, more than 1.2 million were Indians alone. US-based company Saber Corp said: "With easier travel restrictions, affordable accommodation options, and shorter travel times between the two countries, the UAE is a popular destination for Indian travelers. "Globally, family travelers are increasingly traveling to the UAE, while Thailand remains a popular destination for those traveling as a couple." With the announcement of the Dubai Shopping Festival to be held in the month of December, the authorities of Dubai are expecting that there can be a huge jump in the number of tourists coming from India in the month of December alone. During winter, tourists from all over the world come to Dubai to enjoy the pleasant weather and shopping bargains during the Dubai Shopping Festival. During this period, economic activity in the emirate also peaks. The 28th edition of the world's longest-running shopping festival Festival (DSF-Dubai Shopping Festival) begins on December 15 and will go on till January 29, 2023 offering shoppers 3,500 outlets from over 800 leading brands at up to 75 per cent off discount. Daily fireworks, razor shows, and drone shows showcasing Dubai's 2040 vision will entertain the public at 6 locations across the city of Dubai. The prizes received during the Dubai Shopping Festival have also been seen to change people's lives. This year also a cash prize of 20 lakhs, gold worth 10 thousand, luxury car every day. Prizes like Rs 2 crore cash, TV, iPhone, and gold have been announced in the grand prize. Festival City Mall has already announced a grand price of Rs 20 crore. And a portal called Idealz will give away a luxurious apartment in Downtown Dubai to the lucky winner among the shoppers. Plus sports and entertainment, music shows, horse racing, and a sensational performance by legendary iconic Hollywood film composer Hans Zimmer and his 45-piece band, orchestra, and dancers. /IANS