26/10/2026 04:00 AST
The rapid growth of luxury and leisure travel between India and the UAE is driving demand for seamless digital payment solutions, as tourist spending increasingly extends beyond traditional retail to attractions, hospitality and premium experiences, according to Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI International.
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) is the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India and is responsible for expanding the global acceptance of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
The push comes as the UAE remains one of the most important overseas destinations for Indian travellers, supported by strong tourism, business and cultural links between the two countries. According to Shukla, around 8.6 million Indian travellers visited the UAE in 2025, creating growing demand for familiar and frictionless payment options throughout their journeys.
"UAE is one of the most important markets in UPI's global expansion journey, driven by strong travel, tourism and business linkages with India," Shukla said. "With approximately 8.6 million Indian travellers visiting the UAE in 2025, NIPL's focus has been on enabling a familiar, secure and seamless payment experience throughout their travel journey."
To cater to this demand, NPCI International has been working with payment providers including Network International, NeoPay and Magnati to expand UPI acceptance across sectors frequented by visitors. The payment platform is already available at major destinations such as Dubai Duty Free and Lulu Hypermarket, and is increasingly being rolled out across hospitality, retail, supermarkets and travel-related businesses.
The expansion is also reaching premium tourism experiences. A recent partnership between NeoPay and Emaar Entertainment enabled UPI payments for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa, allowing visitors from India to purchase tickets using their preferred payment platform before arriving in the UAE.
"We are also continuing to expand acceptance across new and high-value experiences," Shukla said. "A recent example is the enablement of UPI for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa."
The growth of luxury and experiential travel is broadening the range of merchants adopting digital payments. According to NPCI International, UPI acceptance in the UAE now spans attractions, hospitality, food and beverage, jewellery, supermarkets and travel retail, reflecting how travellers are spending across multiple touchpoints rather than limiting purchases to conventional shopping destinations.
Shukla said the company's longer-term objective is to make digital payments available throughout the visitor journey, from transport and entertainment to shopping and dining.
"Our goal is to enable a seamless payment experience throughout a traveller's journey, from transport and attractions to shopping and everyday purchases," he said.
For UAE merchants, the growing adoption of UPI offers access to one of the world's largest outbound travel markets. NPCI International noted that UPI is now the world's largest real-time payment system by volume, accounting for nearly 50% of global instant payment transactions, while more than 65 million merchants in India accept the platform.
Looking ahead, the company sees further opportunities to strengthen payment connectivity across the Gulf as tourism flows continue to increase. "The GCC is a strategic priority for NPCI International, given the scale of travel and economic activity between India and the region," Shukla said.
As affluent travellers increasingly seek seamless experiences both online and on the ground, the ability to pay instantly using familiar platforms is becoming part of the wider luxury travel proposition, creating new opportunities for destinations and merchants across the UAE.
Khaleej Times
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