Dubai is one of world's leading tourist destinations

'Visa Destinations' is an innovative, interactive, online travel portal providing Visa cardholders with exclusive offers from a select group of global travel, retail and entertainment merchants worldwide.

Featuring a wide range of valuable offers and information, this user-friendly, travel-planning website can be accessed through www.visa.com. The site contains retail, travel and entertainment offers from more than 600 merchants in key destination markets or by designated category around the world.

Partners listed on the Dubai section of the "Visa Destinations" website include Gulf Air and leading brands such as Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Le Méridien Hotels, Hilton Hotels and the Ritz-Carlton. It is estimated that Visa Destinations will feature more than 1,000 offers from participating merchants by the end of 2001.

"Cardholders and merchants alike will benefit from Visa's streamlined approach to add value and provide immediate information on this consumer- and merchant-friendly, website," said Peter Scriven, Visa's Middle East General Manager. "We expect the site's range of special values, travel tips and information to generate widespread interest in Dubai as a tourist destination. It also enables merchants to reach millions of consumers with customized promotions that deliver remarkable flexibility. It is safe to say there has never been anything like Visa Destinations for sheer convenience and value."

Visa is currently inviting key merchants worldwide to participate. The online offer management program helps the merchant design an offer on Visa Destinations complete with promotional artwork. The system then reviews the input to ensure it meets all of Visa's promotional criteria, such as following local and regional guidelines, as well as other online policies. That material is submitted to Visa, which reviews the content. Once approved, the offer goes online.

In addition to the wide range of advantages included in Visa's ongoing travel promotions, there are numerous other benefits to using Visa cards to travel: Visa has more than 22 million merchant acceptance locations worldwide; favourable currency conversion rates vis-à-vis exchange bureaus or at hotel desks; the Visa/PLUS global ATM network with more than 700,000 ATMs in over 130 countries; an online ATM locator guide with special geo-mapping functions; and a customer service phone network designed to aid the Visa traveller 24-hours a day.

"Visa continues to be one of the leaders in consumer marketing and is well known for developing innovative programs that are designed to benefit both its cardholders and its partners," said Premal Patel, Visa's Middle East Head of Marketing. "Through the launch of 'Visa Destinations', we are making a major commitment to the international tourism industry during this difficult and challenging period. Visa has long been acknowledged as 'the world's best way to pay'. Our many promotions and advantages prove that Visa is now also 'the world's best way to travel."

Always ask if there is a current Visa promotion available when booking hotels, cruises and airline tickets or when making reservations anywhere during your travels or while booking a client.

ENDS