'Fantastisch' says Franz Beckenbauer, at Emirates Holidays World 2005

At the stands belonging to the German National Tourist Board (DZT), Munich Airport International, Hamburg Airport, Hamburg Tourism Board and Emirates Holidays ground handler Deutsche Touring, representatives were full of excitement with the arrival of "The Kaiser", as he is often called.

Forty seven destination specialists comprising of national tourist offices and destination management companies from across the world, are attending Emirates Holidays World 2005 - an annual three-day travel exhibition for the general public and travel trade, being held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.

Over 450 travel agents from the Middle East, CIS, Africa, Southern Europe, West Asia and Pacific Rim are also visiting the exhibition, which is organised by Emirates Holidays, the largest wholesale tour operator in the Gulf and Middle East.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Beckenbauer said: "My first impression on seeing the German representation was 'Fantastisch'. By highlighting the very best that Germany has to offer, the contingent will definitely generate tremendous interest on Deutschland, amongst both the travel trade and the 6000 plus consumers who are predicted to visit the event."

He added: "Emirates Holidays World 2005 plays a catalytic role in stimulating tourism. By bringing together travel agents and destination specialists from across the globe, Emirates Holidays has ensured that the travel trade is kept fully up-to-date on these destinations, enabling them to offer a wide range of exciting holiday products to their customers."

The 450 plus travel agents will attend a total of 38 trade sessions each to learn about the many new developments across a variety of different destinations. To ensure that the briefings are as effective as possible, the agents will also participate in a quiz at the end of the event. A total of 20 holidays will be raffled to the prize winners.

During their visit, national tourist offices and destination management companies visited the city's most-talked about projects such as The Palm, Dubai Marina and Burj Dubai, to get an idea of the expansion and developments taking place in the fast-paced city of Dubai.