Exceptional growth in tour operators from major travel origin markets for Dubai

"We have had a year on growth of 6.04 per cent in the number of hotel establishment guests in 2001 and the number of overseas tour operators currently (2001-2002) selling Dubai packages in major markets has gone up by 4.32 per cent," said DTCM Director General, Khalid A. bin Sulayem.

He noted that this considerable increase would have far reaching effects on inbound travel to Dubai.

Substantial growth in overseas tour operators has been achieved from East Africa (up by 126%), Malaysia (up by 120%), Australia and New Zealand (up by 69%), Thailand (up by 30%), Japan (up by 28%), USA (up by 17%) India (up by 11%), Switzerland (up by 10%) and Singapore (up by 9.9%). Other markets to have registered moderate growth include France (up by 3.51%) and Hong Kong (up by 4.17%).

Markets where the numbers of tour operators offering Dubai packages have remained static include the UK, Ireland, Italy and Belgium.

The two-day high-level meeting is being attended by senior DTCM officials headed by Mr. bin Sulayem as well as Directors representing the department's 15 overseas offices around the world, as part of an initiative to strengthen the DTCM's overseas office network and further the professional bond.

"We have had a successful year in 2001 and 2002 is shaping up to be another high growth year which necessitates that we raise the benchmarks higher in keeping with the targets put forth by our Chairman, HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence," said Mr. bin Sulayem.

Such meetings are conducive to networking and serve to challenge and encourage DTCM overseas representatives to show initiative, assume responsibility, act flexibly, learn, develop international and multicultural competence, and communicate in an open forum.

Dubai's tourism industry is entering a phase of phenomenal growth and this meeting has been organized to focus on developing appropriate market responsive strategies to attract more visitors to the emirate, raise service standards, and review new strategies for marketing the emirate.

The DTCM's network of overseas offices are strategically located in Philadelphia (covering North America - East and Central), Los Angeles (North America - West Coast), London (the UK and Ireland), Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany), Milan (Italy), Moscow (the Russian Federation), Nairobi (East Africa), Johannesburg (South Africa), Mumbai (India), Tokyo (Japan), Hong Kong (the Far East), Sydney (Australia and New Zealand), Stockholm (Nordic markets of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland) and Zurich (Switzerland and Austria).

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