ATM HIGHLIGHTS LUXURY TRAVEL & HOSPITALITY

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which took place on May 5-8, 2014 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre in Dubai, was 7 per cent bigger than the previous edition and was spread over 23,500 sq mts with 66 country pavilions and more than 2,500 exhibitors. The show also witnessed the participation of new destinations such as Taiwan, the Caribbean and Slovenia apart from some new players and attracted more than 21,000 trade visitors from around the world. India also had a sizeable presence at ATM 2014.

However, the main take away from the show was the reiteration of the Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to welcome 20 million visitors by 2020 and make Dubai the number one visited city in the world.

“Over the last eight years, we have doubled the number of visitors to Dubai from five million to 10 million. Over the next eight years, we will double that number again so that by 2020 we are welcoming 20 million visitors a year to Dubai. We will also increase the economic impact of tourism threefold, shaping a new and even brighter future for Dubai as a destination,” said, Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in a release circulated to media. “DTCM will receive the full support of all other government departments and work closely with our partners in the tourism industry to ensure that the welcome and the experiences offered to our guests are without parallel,” the Prime Minister added.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DTCM, said, “The strategy behind the Dubai Tourism Vision for 2020 will further leverage a sector which has been a central pillar in the city’s economic growth, success and diversification. It is based upon two central tenets: the first being to widen our range of tourism offerings across events, attractions, infrastructure, services and packages and to enhance the overall visitor experience from arrival to departure. The second tenet is to adapt our marketing approach in order to showcase Dubai to a wider audience and grow the conversion rate of awareness to bookings. There are a range of initiatives we will put in place in both of these areas which will work together to attract more visitors to the city and encourage them to stay longer and spend more money during their time with us. DTCM is to act as a facilitator of growth, harnessing the collective power of stakeholders in the city and deepening engagement, so that we deliver the vision.”

The target of 20 million visitors will be achieved through meeting a number of objectives, the release stated. First, maintaining existing market share of the outbound tourism of all source markets: economic and demographic factors will increase the amount of outbound tourists in each market, therefore maintaining Dubai’s existing percentage market share will deliver an up-lift in visitor numbers. Second, increasing awareness and consideration to visit in a number of source markets such as Latin America, China and the emerging economies of Africa that DTCM has identified as having significant potential for growth. Third, increasing the number of repeat visits is already a significant driver for tourism in the city. Meeting these objectives in addition to driving up the average length of stay (currently at 3.76 days) and increasing the amount of money spent by tourists during their visits will lead to the trebling of the economic contribution that tourism makes to the emirate’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In 2013, Dubai recorded 11 million hotel guests, a 10.6 per cent year-on-year rise. Almarri stated, “The first phase of our second international airport has opened at Dubai World Central and a substantial number of hotels, attractions and events have either opened, taken place or been announced. In addition to the UAE federal pre-entry visa regulations on European Union member states being lifted, major legislative changes have been made, which will directly and positively impact the tourism sector and enable us to attract more business and leisure travellers.”

Main thrust areas

In order to broaden the range of tourism offerings, the DTCM has identified three key areas of focus. According to DTCM, one of the focus is to make UAE world’s leading family destination for which DTCM will play a central role in coordinating the activities of industry and public sector partners to expand the existing attractions, events and experiences that cater to families. Dubai as an event destination is a second area of principal focus, with the aim of moving from the regional events hub to a global events and entertainment destination. As part of this, both the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) - organiser of festivals such as Dubai Summer Surprises and Dubai Shopping Festival - and Dubai Calendar, were recently integrated into DTCM. DTCM will also continue to work closely with the Expo2020 team to support and promote the Dubai, UAE bid to bring the World Expo to the MENASA (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia) region for the first time. “By bringing these two entities into DTCM alongside Dubai Convention Bureau we can lead a coordinated approach to a year-round programme of events for residents, tourists and business visitors.

The offer to business visitors is a third principal focus, with the strategy setting out plans for enhancing Dubai’s status as a business destination. DTCM will work with the industry in improving the business tourism offer to make sure that Dubai is the easiest and most effective place to do business; and to adopt a more unified approach to business and leisure tourism.

New Marketing Blueprint

A key focus of the past year for DTCM has been the creation of a new marketing blueprint that will ensure this status is enhanced and that the rate of growth in guests continues its strong trajectory. The approach is based on research into the needs, requirements and wants of leisure and business travellers and a comprehensive review of both how the emirate’s destination offering compares to other leading global cities and how this offering is communicated.

Discussing the new approach, Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce and Marketing, commented, “Leisure travellers are increasingly seeking holiday destinations that provide a variety of distinctive, enriching and exceptional experiences. One of our objectives is to adapt this narrative so it becomes known as a city that ‘must-be-experienced’ – it’s a subtle shift but one that supports the reality of what the destination has offer: a breadth and depth of remarkable experiences that deliver beyond the expected.” He further stated that shopping has always been a key draw for visitors, “Our malls are destinations in their own right and when you combine this with the offers and events of the shopping festivals, shopping in the souks and in the growing selection of independent boutiques throughout the city, the experience is unrivalled. We need to ensure we are communicating this effectively and work with our partners to continue to enhance that experience,” he said.

The new marketing approach was shared with the travel trade industry during Arabian Travel Market, including a preview of a new digital ecosystem that will be launched later this year. This is comprised of a website, app and social media platforms which have been designed to attract and inform visitors and help them plan their trip and experience the city during their visit. “Increased investment and focus in digital is a key element of our marketing of Dubai and a priority has been to ensure that we can speak more personally to each visitor at every stage of their traveller journey – from before they even consider Dubai as a destination, to when they are planning their trip; experiencing the city; and after they have returned home. Our new digital platforms will provide the opportunity for us to do this and, combined with the evolution of how we talk about Dubai and its offering, will deliver the message that this is a destination which must be experienced – and then help ensure that each visitor has an experience that is beyond expectation,” Kazim added.

#MyDubai initiative

Since the launch of the #MyDubai initiative on Instagram and Twitter accounts five months ago, more than 500,000 images have been posted on Instagram. Reaching this milestone within such a short period shows that #MyDubai has sparked people’s imagination to showcase their experiences in the Emirate. A number of top international brands, local organisations and government entities have also engaged with the initiative. The hashtag #MyDubai can be used on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to share stories, photos, videos, and experiences in the city. “We are delighted to witness an increasing number of local and international organisations embracing the #MyDubai initiative. We are all part of the Emirate’s story and I encourage all residents and visitors to continue the momentum of the visionary project of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram as you tour the city and share your experiences,” Kazim said.