The summer sun shines bright for Dubai's tour companies

Tour companies in Dubai are doing good business and hoping to perform better in the ensuing summer months thanks to the increased tourist interest in the Emirate. Dubai is increasingly being seen as a tourism hub even during summer as tourists from across the world converge to the emirate to partake of its superb shopping and leisure facilities. No wonder the tourism trade is looking forward to an increase of 30 per cent in business this DSS owing to the Dubai Government's strategic marketing initiatives under the umbrella of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai.

Says Denis Hicban, Business Development Manager, Lama group of companies, "The DSS has been very good so far as we already have lots of inquiries for the holidays. Bookings are already underway for our city tours, safaris and cruises as well as some of our tailor made packages. We are looking forward to receiving guests from India, Germany, Austria, Malta, Albania and Turkey which are the key markets for our company. This time around we are also expecting business from the Far East as there have been some queries from the region."

Although summer is a relatively tough time for tourists to opt for outdoor excursions in Dubai yet the increase in the number of inquiries and booking this year indicates an upsurge in the trend. Adds Hicban, "We make sure that our guests are comfortable. In fact, desert safaris are conducted only towards sunset when it's not very hot. Summer is a good time to visit Dubai because of the DSS sales, activities and entertainment events. The good news for our business is that there is more awareness about Dubai nowadays and the city is attracting tourists in huge numbers year after year."

The sales department of the Big Bus Company confirms that ever since the company's inception business has been growing steadily even during summer months which is considered a rather lean period for the tourism industry in Dubai. However, the trend so far has been very positive for the company which conducts city tours in Dubai. This year the business is expected to be more than 30 per cent higher than last year during the same period. The company receives maximum enquiries from European tourists during the summer.

For most tour operators dealing in inbound tourism, the GCC market has been traditionally strong but in the recent past there has been a noticeable increase in demand for Dubai in the overseas markets as well especially Europe. Summer time welcomes lots of tourists from Germany, Italy, France and Russia as well as from the Far East and Australia which are beginning to open up now.

Adds a sales representative from Arabian Nights Tours and Travel, "It's a misconception that people don't prefer desert tours in summers. Evenings in the desert are pleasant anyway so we have lot of tourists opting for the safari. Cruises are also held in the evenings which are relatively comfortable and the guests have an option to stay in the air-conditioned cabins as well. In addition to all that Dubai has to offer we give our customers summer discounts to encourage them to come and see the emirate during this time of year."