THE Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is looking to expand its leisure and entertainment offers with the launch of projects like the new district Mohammed bin Rashid City; the amusement park, Dubai Adventure Studio Fun Park; a new shopping centre, the Nakheel Mall and The Pointe, a centre for haute cuisine and entertainment being developed on The Palm Jumeirah.
Newly appointed director general of DTCM, Helal Almarri, said: “The fast emergence of Dubai on the global tourism map is due to a diversity of factors, not least the expansion of our world-class tourist facilities and an impeccable record of high-quality service. Dubai is a cosmopolitan city with a strong base of sightseeing attractions, services, and a secure environment; in addition to its excellent infrastructure of telecommunications, roads and airports.”
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Dubai’s tourism industry saw considerable growth last year. Overnight visits increased to over nine million in 2012 and records show that in the first nine months of the year Dubai’s hotels welcomed a nine per cent increase of guests compared to the same period of 2011. Guest nights swelled by 15 per cent and the number of hotels increased by three per cent.
Germany and Dubai maintain their well-established relationship in the tourism industry: German visitors have flocked to Dubai for the past five decades. Between January and December 2012, Dubai’s hotels welcomed a total of 314,951 German guests – an increase of 14 per cent from the same period of 2011 – and guest nights increased by 20 per cent.
Dubai also enjoys a flourishing relationship with Germany in the cruise tourism industry, with the recently added TUI Cruises and long standing Aida Cruises being amongst the list of luxurious cruise liners to make frequent calls to Dubai. German cruise visitors numbered 67,947 between January and December 2012, an increase of 26 per cent on the previous year.
Describing ITB as an impressive platform for participants to increase business and to contribute to Dubai’s success story, Almarri commented: “Hotels, tour operators and other organisations participating in our Dubai Stand will be showcasing their best offerings to the guests. I am sure that the participants will be able to hold dynamic meetings with our hotel partners, tour operators, resorts and travel agencies; representatives of the cruise and Mice business, sports and event management companies; and government entities such as Dubai Convention and Events Bureau (DCEB), Dubai Cruise Terminal, and Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment.”