Dubai to roll out new overnight camping adventures

Dubai - Tourist camps will be placed under different categories, depending on the type of camp and package of services provided to guests.

Tourists and resident adventurers in Dubai will soon be able to explore the great outdoors at camps across the city - and not only in the desert. It could be on a mountain, in a valley, or even a nature reserve.
This will be part of the new camping experiences that the emirate will be rolling out, along with a set of tourist camp guidelines.
Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) recently gathered about 100 tour operators for a virtual meeting, where the tourist camp guidelines were discussed.
Besides overnight stays, the new camping adventures may also include dining experiences and recreational and entertainment activities, under the regulations that were being developed for tour operators. The key is to highlight the variety and blend of rich traditions and the ultra-modern life that Dubai offers.
Helal Saeed Almarri, director-general of Dubai Tourism, said the new tourist camp features and regulations come as a "timely boost" to the business of travel companies in the emirate.
"As we continue to take a measured and coordinated approach towards a full reopening of the tourism sector, the strategic directive by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, on regulating tourist camp operations is...a reflection of our commitment to working closely with our stakeholders to build a stronger, more sustainable and resilient tourism economy," Almarri said.
During the meeting with tour operators, Dubai Tourism provided key insights into the executive council resolution that will enable them to reinvent and enhance their camping adventures.
A tourist camp has been defined as any permanent or temporary site approved by the Dubai Tourism and developed by a tour operator in a desert, mountain, valley or nature reserve or any other location for the purpose of providing tourism services and offerings.
Tourist camps will be placed under different categories, depending on the type of camp and package of services provided to guests.
Each category will have its own criteria and list of requirements, as well as minimum services that tour companies must meet or provide to obtain a permit from Dubai Tourism.
All services must be clearly communicated to guests, and camp operators should follow all health, sanitation, safety and security requirements.
The guidelines, along with the new format and features for camps, will be finalised shortly, incorporating the feedback from the operators and other partners, including government entities.
"The resolution is a testament to the continued support of our visionary leadership to showcase Dubai as the most preferred destination that provides UAE residents and visitors a diversity of experiences," Almarri said.
"Dubai Tourism will continue to work with its stakeholders and partners to further strengthen Dubai's destination proposition and ensure that it stays at the forefront of the world's widely recommended cities for global travellers."
During the virtual meeting, the authority also shared some advice on several concerns, including permit renewals and fee waivers, and additional information on camp activities, facilities and services, and ways of increasing the size of existing camps.
WHAT IS A TOURIST CAMP
Any permanent or temporary site approved by the Dubai Tourism and developed by a tour operator in a desert, mountain, valley or nature reserve or any other location for the purpose of providing tourism services
WHAT THE RESOLUTION SAYS
>Tour operators will be allowed to provide overnight stays to their guests at camps
>Packages may include dining experiences, recreational and entertainment activities.
>Tourist camps will also be placed under different categories, depending on the type of camp and package of services offered, and each category will have its own criteria and requirements
>Camp operators must follow all health, sanitation, safety and security protocols
reporters@khaleejtimes.com 

• Dubai