Dubai has a never-ending appeal for visitors

Thanks to encouragement from the leaders, the World’s Coolest Winter campaign concluded with 950,000 domestic tourists across the country and drove Dhs1 billion of revenue into the hospitality sector within a month.

The 45-day campaign was launched on December 12, 2020, as part of the newly-launched UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism, to encourage residents and citizens to explore the country’s hidden gems and promoted the features that distinguish each of the seven emirates.

And mind you, all this is happening against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Which simply goes to show that Dubai, and the UAE by extension, has inbuilt resilience to combat the challenges from the virus.

And that means turbocharging footfall in the emirate.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted, “We concluded #WorldsCoolestwinter campaign to promote domestic tourism. The campaign attracted 950,000 domestic tourists and Dhs1 billion in revenue within one month. Over 2,000 media reports and 215 million views on videos that captured the UAE’s beauty and the impact of teamwork. “The “Emirates Tourism” app was also launched to guide domestic and international tourists to over 600 hotspots across the emirates and feature over 275 exclusive deals in hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions worth Dhs72,000 for every user.

The campaign appealed to overseas visitors. The zeal to discover the UAE’s hidden gems, especially after a critical time that created social distancing, is all too great to curb.

After all, who does not want to visit the land of sun and fun, of sand and sensations? You can do virtually everything under the sun here, unlike the cold climes of the West, whose residents, like those from other countries, find this place irresistible.

It is a place of iconic landmarks, such as the Burj Khalifa, the Burj Al Arab, Louvre Abu Dhabi, not forgetting the lovely desert safaris, zoos and amusement hotspots such as the Ferrari World and Bollywood Parks Dubai.

Those who took part in the campaign, who also highlighted the breathtaking nature of the UAE that the world knows little about, will testify to that. The campaign’s creative initiatives and events were featured in numerous media reports that reached over 20 million people across the world.

New major landmarks have been launched during the campaign including the Roman-style Khorfakkan Amphitheatre and Rumailah Farm in Fujairah, while Ajman Museum reopened in a new form.

The campaign helped raise hotel occupancy across the UAE by 17 per cent as compared to last year, increasing the average hotel room price to Dhs450 per night. The rise in hotel occupancy within only one month is the biggest indicator of the campaign’s massive success.

If there is one thing the drive has emphasised, it is the tolerance and harmony that people live by in the UAE, a country that combines rich culture and heritage with high quality of life and modernity.

In a collaboration between du and the UAE Government Media Office, #WorldsCoolestWinterChallenge was launched on Twitter and Instagram to encourage the public to share creative images and videos of their outdoor experiences in UAE for chances to win big.

Dubai is open for business and tourism, and Emirates wants the world to know it. Throughout the winter travel season, the airline, reports said, will run a multi-million dollar global campaign to promote Destination Dubai, including advertising spots and key partnerships to provide travellers with extra value.

As Sheikh Mohammed pointed out, “Next winter, we will launch a bigger and better campaign on December 15th, 2021 as the world begins to recover from the pandemic. Thanks to the Ministry of Economy, the UAE Government Media Office and local tourism entities for the successful domestic campaign.”