Dubai showcases new attractions at WTM 2008

World Travel Market (WTM) 2008 promises to be another bumper year for the Government of Dubai, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). The Dubai stand (ME2000) is the biggest to date – and it needs to be, hosting some 120 co-participants representing the emirate’s multitude of hotel and leisure offerings.

Defying the global downturn, Dubai has already witnessed an upsurge in international visitors in the first half of this year (up some 8.6 per cent to 3,679,792), with the UK continuing to be the dominant source market (with a year-on-year rise of 9.2 per cent in the first nine months of 2008 to 603,376). This increase is in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 which predicts that Dubai will be attracting 15 million visitors a year by 2015. In order to achieve this ambitious - though achievable - target, Dubai ensures that its offering is continually expanding with each new development that comes online. And there will be an opportunity to meet representatives from many of these exciting projects during WTM.

From Atlantis The Palm – which is due to be officially unveiled with a spectacular ceremony at the end of November – to Ritz Carlton, One&Only, and InterContinental, many of the major hotel groups will be represented during the four day exhibition. Aside from attracting the biggest and best hotels, Dubai has also ensured that there is a plethora of attractions to keep visitors entertained during their stay: from skiing to spas, shopping to sand-boarding, everything including the infrastructure has been created to operate at the highest specifications and will be showcased as part of the DTCM’s stand.

The DTCM will also be working to strengthen its relationship with tour operators and travel agents during the exhibition, which will provide an excellent forum to promote its innovative and comprehensive Dubai Expert online training programme. Already a popular tool for the travel trade, the course has been expanded to cater for new projects that are unveiled, which, coupled with regular familiarisation trips, ensures that the travel industry is in the best possible position to sell the emirate to customers. Meetings between the DTCM and key industry partners have also been arranged to discuss plans for 2009 and innovative ways to promote Dubai to new and existing markets.

An area of DTCM’s business that has witnessed tremendous growth in 2008 is its advertising and affiliate marketing. Successful campaigns, run in partnership with key tour operators, have run in The Observer Magazine, The Telegraph Magazine, The Spectator, Tatler, GQ and travel trade, MICE and business titles; while Dubai has also been promoted in-store and beyond with Harrods, Coast, The White Company, First Direct and House of Fraser.

Another innovation for 2008 has been the Dubai Update newsletter: in line with feedback from the travel trade, this news digest of travel, tourism, economic, industrial, commercial and other news specifically aimed at UK and Ireland based organisations, or individuals with an interest in Dubai has been consolidated into one monthly news e-bulletin, available free of charge online. Three distinctly themed versions of the newsletter are available – tourism, MICE and commerce – each one brimming with relevant content. No passwords, costs or restrictions provide subscribers with access to all three newsletters as well as to useful background information such as past issues, press releases, DTCM contact details, exhibition listings and visitor statistics. Interested parties can register at www.dubaiupdate.co.uk.

Dubai Travel Market has also gone from strength-to-strength since its launch at World Travel Market 2007. In line with Dubai’s progressive approach, it is the first Middle Eastern destination to have proactively developed a dedicated online distribution channel for its supplier partners to access consumers direct in the UK. The site features a broad array of flights and accommodation through airlines and online travel agents as well as tour operators. In addition, it enables visitors to research car hire and travel insurance options before booking their trip to Dubai. To date there is already a wide selection of airlines, hotels and tour operators on the site. Additional organisations interested in taking part should visit www.dubaitravelmarket.co.uk for more information.

The newly revamped Destination Dubai Tourism Manual 2009 will also be launched on the stand during WTM. This definitive guide to the emirate is a handy compendium of top tips about the best of Dubai: from hotels to restaurants and spas to shopping.


Ian Scott, the DTCM’s director for UK and Ireland, feels that WTM is an excellent opportunity to promote the emirate: “Dubai can feel justifiably proud of its successes so far this year: to have witnessed an overall increase in international visitor figures of almost nine per cent in the first half of this year in the current global climate is testament to the strength of its offering and the universal appeal of the endless raft of new developments that are being unveiled. World Travel Market is an excellent forum to showcase Dubai’s tourism offering to the travel industry and the media. It is a great opportunity for so many of our partners from the hotel and leisure industries to be able to join us on the stand, ensuring that visitors are faced with a broad overview of the latest and greatest that Dubai has to offer, and making this our largest presence at the exhibition to date.

WTM is also an excellent opportunity for the DTCM to promote its services to raise awareness among tour operators and travel agents: we have been delighted with take up of the Dubai Expert online training programme and Dubai Update e-newsletter, indicating the high level of sustained interest in Dubai.”

Maintaining its position as a leading world-class destination, Dubai continues to expand its portfolio of developments further fuelling the demand of a growing and diverse market. And at 616.25 square metres, the DTCM’s stand is one of the biggest at WTM; with so much on display, it is the place to find out about all that Dubai offers travellers both now and in the future.

For further information about Dubai, contact Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing on 020 7321 6110, email: dtcm_uk@dubaitourism.ae or visit www.dubaitourism.ae