Tourism
From The Report: Dubai 2014
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The total number of visitors to Dubai in the first nine months of 2013 was 7.9m, and the emirate has set itself a target of reaching 20m visitors per year by 2020. The emirate received a major boost towards achieving this goal when its bid to host World Expo 2020 was accepted in November 2013. Of the anticipated 25m World Expo visitors between October 2020 and April 2021, it is forecast that around 70% will be from outside the UAE. The energy going into providing facilities for tens of millions of foreign visitors is relentless and looks set to continue over the coming years, with endeavours to improve the offerings for sport, MICE, cultural and medical tourism all working to make the emirate a desirable destination for tourists.

This chapter contains an interview with Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Seeing double: Aiming to attract twice the number of visitors by the end of decade
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The energy going into providing facilities for tens of millions of foreign visitors is relentless. On the agenda for the next few years are around 16,000 new hotel rooms, running from the height of luxury to several budget accommodations, and half a dozen or more theme parks. Dubai has set itself the target of reaching 20m visitors per year by 2020 – the total for the first nine months of 2013 was 7.9m. The emirate received a major boost towards achieving this goal when its bid to host World Expo…

Interview

OBG talks to Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director-General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre
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Interview:Helal Saeed Al Marri How can Dubai ensure that hotel supply continues to grow but that it does not outpace demand? HELAL SAEED AL MARRI: We have no concerns about supply outpacing demand, in fact it is quite the reverse. An essential part of our tourism vision is to ensure that Dubai has the required hotel capacity in place to cater to 20m visitors annually by 2020, with an adequate mix of options across different budget levels. We have seen an increase in hotel and apartment occupancy…

Analysis

Increasing capacity: Major chains step up the pace of expanding accommodation
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The enthusiasm for building new hotels in Dubai precedes by at least a year the announcement in late November 2013 that the emirate had won the right to stage World Expo 2020. An increase in foreign visitors had already created demand for more rooms in both hotels and hotel apartments. Christopher Hewett, senior consultant at TRI Hospitality Consulting in Dubai, told OBG, “In terms of future supply, there are some estimates of more than 10,000 hotel rooms entering the market over the next four…

Analysis

Bigger and better: Bridging the old and the new through innovation
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The emirate’s reputation for novelty and unique attractions has produced things such as an indoor ski slope in a country where summer temperatures can rise to about 50° C. The can-do spirit of Dubai has determined to produce a clutch of giant theme parks, the world’s biggest Ferris wheel, a replica of the Taj Mahal four times the size of the original and a giant frame that will allow visitors to view new Dubai from one side and old Dubai from the other. The tens of millions of visitors are expected…