Atlantis Dubai sharpens India focus; targets affluent travellers beyond metros

Atlantis Dubai is looking to deepen its engagement with India’s affluent outbound travellers while continuing to strengthen its positioning in the global luxury hospitality market. 

In conversation with T3, Rutuja Patil, Account Director, Sales, Atlantis Dubai, discusses the brand’s market outlook, India’s growing importance, opportunities beyond metropolitan cities, trade partnerships and more.

Performance outlook

Patil describes 2026 as a year defined by resilience, agility and continued investment, following a uniquely disrupted operating year. Despite a challenging operating environment, the group has remained focused on elevating the guest journey, strengthening its global appeal and reinforcing its position as one of Dubai’s most iconic resort destinations.

“The feeder market mix shifted meaningfully towards GCC, UAE resident and regional short-haul demand this year, offsetting softer long-haul international volumes, a pattern broadly consistent with the wider Dubai hospitality sector,” shared Patil.

According to Patil, India remains among the brand’s top 5 source markets, supported by demand for luxury hospitality, distinctive culinary experiences and premium family holidays. Patil said the brand is seeing positive momentum across its key source markets and remains cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the year and 2027.

India strategy

Patil shared that India remains a significant market for Atlantis Dubai, both in terms of its current business and future growth prospects. The brand has invested in the market for several years, with opportunities continuing to expand as Indian outbound travellers become increasingly sophisticated and experience-led.

Connectivity and geographical proximity continue to support travel from India to Dubai. However, Atlantis Dubai’s strategy goes beyond tapping overall visitor volumes, with a specific focus on luxury and premium segments. “We aim to target luxury and premium segments; working closely with travel agents, luxury networks, tour operators, airlines, wedding and MICE specialists, and our strategic partners,” Patil noted. The brand also sees considerable scope to engage with affluent travellers beyond India’s traditional metropolitan markets.

Emerging Indian markets & trends

Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai continue to generate strong demand for Atlantis Dubai, shared Patil. These markets benefit from a concentration of affluent travellers, corporate business and a growing appetite for premium travel experiences.

At the same time, the brand is seeing increasing potential in Ahmedabad, Pune, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Kochi. “These cities are becoming more important as travellers increasingly seek international holidays, personalised service and premium hospitality offerings,” added Patil.

“The expanding pool of affluent Indian travellers is also influencing our market strategy. We are seeing greater diversity in traveller profiles, evolving expectations, and a growing interest in bespoke experiences, luxury leisure travel, family holidays, and experiential stays,” Patil explained.

In response, Atlantis Dubai is strengthening its presence in key source markets while building strategic partnerships with travel advisors and luxury travel specialists. Tailored offerings that reflect the preferences of Indian travellers remain central to this approach.

The objective is to look beyond traditional metropolitan centres and develop stronger connections with emerging cities, where rising affluence and changing travel aspirations present opportunities for long-term growth.

Sales priorities

Growing the luxury and premium segments remains the principal priority for Atlantis Dubai in India. Travel partners remain integral to this strategy. “We work closely with leading travel platforms, luxury networks, tour operators, airlines and specialist partners through regular market visits, product training, joint initiatives and familiarisation trips,” shared Patil.  

The brand also plans to participate in key luxury events and work closely with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism on roadshows and market initiatives across India, to engage directly with both the trade and high-value consumers.

An important part of the strategy is ensuring that partners understand the distinct propositions of Atlantis, The Palm and Atlantis The Royal, enabling them to communicate the differences between the two properties to prospective guests.

With new dining, entertainment and experiential offerings being introduced, the brand has a continuing pipeline of developments to communicate to the Indian market. These provide fresh reasons for travellers to discover the resorts and encourage previous guests to return.