Dubai e-Government advises hospitality industry to develop e-Services strategies

A group of representatives from the hotel and tourism sector were recently briefed extensively on the e-Government services that are focused on creating an enhanced atmosphere for visitors to Dubai, through the use of technology. The presentation was part of a program organised by DTCM to target the tourism industry to discuss ways and means of rejuvenating the international visitor traffic to the emirate.

"Tourists today are looking for secure destinations with access to all modern amenities and the infrastructure to access global communication systems," said Salem Al Shair, Director e-Services Dubai e-Government. "DTCM and Dubai e-Government have joined hands in this effort to educate the travel and tourism industry in Dubai about leveraging e-Services to maximise benefits to the visitors to the country. Dubai e-Government will act as a catalyst for the private sector by providing new opportunities and means of communication."

"Dubai has established itself as a leading tourist destination in the Middle East in recent times, but with the neighbouring countries in the region also exploiting their tourism resources, the industry is becoming extremely competitive," said Anas Haddad, Content Manager, Dubai e-Government. "In addition, the global economic downturn has affected the tourist arrivals all over the world."

The statistics for the hotel industry compiled by the DTCM reveal that the first quarter of 2001 attracted a total of 2,120,366 hotel guests to Dubai and the emirate is targeting a similar figure for the same period this year. As expected, the current emphasis seems to be on attracting a larger percentage of tourists from UK, Europe, the US and the Far East. In addition, Dubai is being projected as the most appropriate and convenient entry point and a comfortable base for tourists to the entire region.

Haddad stressed that e-services like online hotel bookings, confirmations and payments could be the key to attracting the prospective tourist in the existing climate of tough competition. His presentation dealt with the need to create awareness amongst the hospitality industry about the advantages of e-Services.

"Innovative services and marketing techniques become extremely significant for those who want to have a good market share. Staying abreast of technology and incorporating e-services into the facilities is also very important as it goes a long way towards cost effective and time efficient services with minimum manpower requirements," he added.

The Dubai e-Government portal has also taken steps to facilitate tourists interested in visiting Dubai by incorporating a channel entitled "Visiting Dubai." The channel offers extensive information about the emirate including information on visa regulations, availability and visa fees. Visiting Dubai also carries constantly updated information on the events in Dubai with dates and times and provides links to some of the better-known hotels in the emirate with details of services offered.