Dubai Department Of Economy And Tourism Shares Strategic Future Plans With Stakeholders

The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) recently held its second City Briefing of the year. This event provided an overview of the department's initiatives and campaigns, focusing on collaboration. The tourism, events, and related sectors were highlighted as crucial in achieving the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of DET, opened the event at InterContinental Dubai Festival City. Over 1,300 industry professionals attended, including representatives from hotels, attractions, tour operators, airlines, and government entities. Almarri emphasised the importance of public-private partnerships in driving sustainable development and advancing Dubai's tourism sector.

Participants learned about Dubai's strong performance in attracting international visitors. From January to October 2024, 14.96 million tourists visited the city, an 8% increase from last year. The hospitality sector also grew significantly, with 152,000 hotel rooms available by October's end.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), stated: "Guided by our city’s visionary leadership...Dubai’s tourism sector continues to gather momentum...making vital contributions towards achieving the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33."

The briefing showcased DET's recent marketing campaigns and projects aimed at boosting tourism growth. These included destination weddings, cruising and yachting, accessibility improvements, gastronomy enhancements, and sustainability efforts. Stakeholders were updated on key metrics like average occupancy rates and revenue per available room (RevPAR).

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), noted: "The success of Dubai’s tourism...reflects the city’s visionary leadership...aligned with the goals of the D33 Agenda to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global city for business and leisure."

Global Engagement Efforts

The event highlighted DET’s international operations managed through 36 brand offices across over 60 countries. These offices have established relationships with more than 3,000 travel trade stakeholders through 270 agreements. Face-to-face engagement is crucial for promoting Dubai globally.

DET has conducted over 45 international roadshows this year to support trade partners. The department's PR capabilities have enhanced Dubai's global profile while supporting major events and initiatives.

Digital Impact and Innovations

The scale of DET’s social media reach was discussed during the briefing. In late 2024 alone, Visit Dubai channels garnered over 290 million engagements across multiple platforms. Strategic partners contributed an additional 375 million engagements.

The launch of an Arabic-language Visit Dubai WhatsApp channel was announced alongside gamification initiatives like ‘Dubai, Always’. A Chinese-language podcast has already accumulated over one million listening minutes.

Upcoming Events and Activities

The briefing provided updates on upcoming events such as concerts by Sherine Abdel Wahab and Lionel Richie. Major sporting events like the Dubai Marathon are also scheduled alongside stage shows like Singin’ in the Rain.

The ongoing success of the Dubai Fitness Challenge was highlighted with record participation numbers reaching 2.7 million people this year.

As DET looks ahead to 2025 exhibitions covering leisure segments will be a focus area for stakeholders to join forces with DET at various international shows.

With inputs from WAM