UAE envoy visits Dubai stand at ITB-2009

The envoy praised the efforts of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) in promoting the UAE in general and Dubai in particular in Germany which remained a top source market for the tourism industry with more and more Germans visitors making their way to the UAE.

He said the strong participation of the tourism promotion organizations from the country reflects the huge tourism product offerings and the emergence of the UAE on the world tourism map.

Mr. Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb, DTCM Executive Director Operations and Marketing, welcomed the diplomat and his entourage and presented a memento. Another souvenir was presented by the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) which is a co-participant of Dubai Stand.

Backed by a record 96 co-participants, Dubai mounted a strong presence at the 2009 edition ITB being held from March 11 to 15.

DTCM is utilising Dubai's participation in the world's largest travel trade fair for the 20th successive year to strongly promote the emirate to the global travel trade, especially among the Germans who has been showing unfaltering interest in Dubai as a year-round business and leisure destination.

German guests at Dubai hotels totaled 255,657 in 2007, while the first half of 2008 recorded 138,125 German visitors at Dubai hotel establishments. During 2007-2008, as many as 276 German tour operators featured Dubai in their holiday packages, an increase of 34 per cent over 2006-2007 period. There has been a 16% increase in German passengers passing through the Dubai airport in 2007, which stood at 1.33 million.