Bin Sulayem confirmed these achievements were the results of a number of factors such as initiatives made by the Government of Dubai to face the impacts of the global crisis and its continuous support to the tourism sector, political and security stability, modern infrastructure availability, etc. Nevertheless, bin Sulayem highlighted the challenges facing the Dubai's tourism such as the rate of rooms.
The DTCM's director-general also mentioned other indicators of Dubai's tourism, such as the occupancy rate. He revealed that the average of this indicator since 2004 till March 2009 was 81% which is the highest compared to many other cities and countries like London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Vienna, and others.
Bin Sulayem also revealed the DTCM's policies to face the impacts of the global financial crisis. He pointed out that the department has participated in 23 international fairs in entertainment and business tourism, in addition to 130 activities organized abroad. Additionally, the department organized 9 workshops in Saudi Arabia, India, Baltic States, Japan, and GCC.
HE bin Sulayem stressed that the department crafted short and long-term strategies to restore the tourism sector viability under the present global downturn. The main policies taken in this context are advertising and promotion campaigns, activation of its business group to confront the crisis impacts, conducting research and studies on global markets, organizing forums with entities operating in Dubai's tourism sector, etc.
At the end of the presentation, HE Juma Al Majed extended his appreciation to DTCM for its role to enhance the location of Dubai in global tourism map. Al Majed stated that tourism is regarded a central sector for many economies for its contribution in the national income and employment rate.
The Council's members raised some questions about the present situation and horizons of Dubai's tourism. The main questions focused on fees imposed by DTCM, rates of tourist services particularly the rate of rooms, tourist visas transactions, and the impacts of tourism movement on Dubai's local culture.
In his turn, bin Sulayem addressed on these concerns. He asserted that the department rallies to enhance the competitive advantage of the tourism sector by adopting sound policies and strategies.
He also confirmed that the department has a complement agenda to encourage tourism and targeting global markets. This includes coordination with the tourism sector and travel agents representatives. Additionally, the department would provide more facilities to tourists and visitors. "One of the most active arrangements the DTCM adopted recently is the substantial cut in cost of foreign activities relating to the exhibitions and festivals conducted in Dubai," he added.
Finally, bin Sulayem asserted the important role of DTCM to preserve the cultural identity of Dubai and the UAE. He stated that the department adopted comprehensive program for this purpose, such as circulating handbooks and publications in airports and through the travel agents. He confirmed the fruitful results in this field.
At the end of meeting, the Council attained some policy recommendations on the issues discussed to be forwarded to the Government of Dubai.
Media contact:
Irfan Al-Hasani
Economic Editor-In-Chief
Corporate Support Center
Dubai Economic Council (DEC)
P.O. Box 112288
Dubai, U.A.E
T: +971 4 223 4555
D: +971 4 208 8117
F: +971 4 228 5050
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