Dubai hotels full during GITEX 2003, says DTCM official

An official from the DTCM said that this kind of steady flow in terms of hotel occupancy would guarantee a record growth in the number of hotel guests at the end of the year. "It has always been our endeavor to perform better every time and accomplish positive as well as far reaching results. Achieving full occupancy is a concrete step in this direction," he said.

He noted that events such as GITEX not only compliment the hotel occupancy but also play a significant role in shaping the Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) sector of the emirate. "The impact is all round as annually, Dubai hosts more than 62 major exhibitions as well as numerous conferences, seminars, in-house corporate meetings and many other international events. All this not only attracts visitor traffic to Dubai but also reflects seriousness of the destination towards the MICE industry," said the official.

He noted that besides being one of the most frequented destinations, Dubai is also one of the safest places in the world. "The fact that the visitors kept coming to Dubai speaks about the safety aspect and safety standards of Dubai. The emirate caters to the requirements of visitors from all the corners of the world. Dubai's state-of-the art infrastructure and facilities as well as the varied activities it offers are hard to find in any other place," said the official.

Shujaat Yar, Director Business Development, Le Meridien Dubai said, "The Middle East's largest and most important IT trade exhibition, GITEX, held annually in Dubai, continues to attract a large number of visitors from across the GCC, the Indian Subcontinent and Europe and provides a major boost to the hotel industry. Due to the phenomenal growth in the size and scope of the show this year, Le Meridien Dubai has experienced 100% occupancy.

GITEX and GITEX Computer Shopper this year are certain to be landmark events in the history of the regional exhibition sector and once again, as we saw post-Dubai 2003, we expect to see repeat visitors and an increased global awareness of the UAE. Dubai is steadily becoming a force to be reckoned with in the MICE market and GITEX 2003 will reinforce that reputation.

Abdin Nasralla, General Manager, The World Trade Centre Hotel said that they have full occupancy since the 'INDEX', which concluded last
week. "All 333 rooms of our property were fully occupied, which indeed is a welcoming sign," said Mr. Nasralla.

Sales and Promotions Manager of Accor Hotel Group, Ali El Zayet was also upbeat about the boom in the hotel occupancy, "Our hotel, Novotel with 412 rooms and Avis with 210 rooms are registering 100 per cent occupancy. Our meeting rooms are also fully occupied".