Dubai shines as a premium tourism destination in London

Business Bureau, Gulf today

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) highlighted the emirate’s ongoing commitment to its third largest source market at the 40th edition of World Travel Market (WTM), one of the leading global trade events for the travel industry, held in London from Nov.4 to 6, 2019..

Dubai Tourism exhibited alongside a delegation of more than 60 trade partners across travel and tourism, hospitality, leisure and entertainment to showcase new destination insights as well as the diverse events and festivals sector in efforts to further boost British tourist arrivals over the next year.

The Dubai stand served as an immersive representation of the city’s modern, unique and vibrant destination proposition, offering visitors a glimpse into the emirate’s ever-growing portfolio of bespoke experiences for leisure and business travellers.

Commenting on Dubai Tourism’s presence at the event, Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) said: “Our presence at World Travel Market forms a core part of our efforts to drive consideration for the city as a diverse travel destination for today’s global traveller, and we are pleased to extend our support to the 40th edition of this influential event. The UK remains one of our most important source markets, retaining its position in the top three countries to visit Dubai so far in 2019. With 2020 set to be a monumental year for the emirate, we will continue to strengthen our relationships with the global travel industry, explore new trends and leverage the power of innovative solutions and ongoing partnerships to redefine the customer journey and set a new benchmark for the future of travel.”

The Dubai stand invited visitors to discover more about the city’s active calendar of marketing activations and communications programming, building on the success of the Department’s ‘always on’ custom-market approach to leverage bespoke and seasonal campaigns; advocacy-based content partnerships and influencer marketing; and audience-specific trade alliances.

A notable highlight included the ongoing in-market seasonal campaigns that leverage 360-marketing outreach to position Dubai as the “always in season” destination for UK travellers, creating and distributing bespoke creatives across digital, social, and video channels catered to audience preferences and interests. Dubai Tourism continued its well-entrenched tactical campaigns with messaging adapted to highlight the city’s thriving gastronomic portfolio, with a special partnership with online food distribution network, Twisted London to feature inspiring recipes and inviting viewers to win a chance to experience local Emirati cuisine themselves in London.

The past year also saw the launch of several niche programmes that increased interest from traditionally strong audience segments with a collaboration with renowned YouTubers Alfie & Zoella, as well as tapping into emerging segments with a high-tier activation with celebrities Rochelle Humes and Giovanna Fletcher to focus on family, fashion and fitness offerings, key motivators for UK travellers.

World Travel Market is the leading global trade event for the travel industry, enabling destinations and industry stakeholders to interact and connect in a specialist and highly driven environment. The event offered a valuable platform for Dubai to position itself on the global stage as a leading destination of choice for the UK market.

The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is the principal authority for tourism in Dubai. They plan, supervise and develop the marketing of Dubai as a leading tourist destination.

They also market and promote the emirate’s commerce sector and are responsible for the licensing and classification of all tourism services such as hotels, tour operators, travel agents, and other tourism services. DTCM is committed to strengthening Dubai’s economy by attracting tourists and inward investment while delivering Dubai’s tourism vision, which includes welcoming 20 million visitors per year by 2020.

DTCM has played a pivotal role in Dubai’s rise to prominence as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, welcoming more than 15 million visitors in 2017. In addition to its headquarters in Dubai, DTCM operates 20 offices worldwide.

The Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) is responsible for the branding, promotion and marketing of the emirate of Dubai. DCTCM is dedicated to working with private and public sector tourism and commerce partners to promote Dubai’s position as a leading international business and leisure destination around the world.

To achieve these goals DCTCM promotes the emirate as a prime destination for tourism, entertainment, and events, while also advocating for its role as a global business destination. It highlights the fact that Dubai has all the essential facilities, infrastructure, events and expertise required to facilitate trade, attracting regional and international businesses to establish offices in Dubai.