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Dubai among leading tourist destinations: WTO report

Addressing a Press conference at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) head office yesterday, the DTCM Director-General Khalid A. Bin Sulayem attributed Dubai's tourism growth to its focussed and well-planned marketing strategy on the regional and international front as well as its successful cooperation with the public and private sectors.

"This is a great accomplishment for the emirate especially keeping in view the fact that world tourism had suffered a setback after the September 11 attacks on US cities. Dubai, with its focused and well-planned marketing strategies - both regional as well as international - has emerged triumphant, successfully defying the worldwide slump and the results are for everyone to see," he said.

Mr Bin Sulayem pointed out that the WTO's report on the 30 per cent rebound in international tourist arrival was identical to the figures released by DTCM for 2002 hotel establishments which showed a 31.15 per cent increase in hotel establishment guests. The number of guests in 2002 totalled 4.8 million as compared to 3.6 million guests in 2001.

Other contributory factors to Dubai's tourism growth include joint media and advertising campaigns, participation in regional and international exhibitions and road shows which had sent positive signals globally, he added.

DTCM statistics for 2002 hotel establishments likewise showed that the hotel establishment total revenue in 2002 amounted to Dh3.8 billion, a 19.28 per cent increase from the Dh3.2 billion in 2001. Similarly, hotel revenue rose by 22.12 per cent, registering Dh3.4 billion in 2002 as compared to Dh2.8 billion in 2001.

Mr Bin Sulayem lauded the vision of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, UAE Defence Minister and Chairman of the DTCM.

"It is the far-sightedness and initiative of Gen. Shaikh Mohammed that has earned us the top position among the tourism promoting destinations," he said.

According to the WTO report, out of the 715 million international tourists, Dubai received 0.7 per cent, while 20 per cent of the 24 million tourists from the region also frequent the emirate.

The report also noted a rebound in visitor inflow in Hong Kong (21 per cent), Argentina (15 per cent), Turkey (13.6 per cent) and France (two per cent).

Meanwhile, the 2002 hotel establishment statistics of DTCM showed an increased in the number of operating hotels in Dubai in 2002 which was 272 as against 264 in 2001.

In 2002, the number of average hotel rooms occupied reached 16,264, a 24.64 per cent increase from 13,049 in 2001. The hotel occupancy rate in 2002 rose by 12.46 per cent. In 2001, it was 60.90 per cent, and grew to 73.36 per cent in 2002.

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