Dubai has been opening its doors gradually in recent weeks - and Emirates Airlines has just dropped a brand-new tourism video offering visitors a warm welcome to its shores again.

The one-minute video was posted on Twitter by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) and Chairman of Dubai Airports.
It comes right in time too, as the emirate announced that tourists and visitors would be permitted to visit Dubai, starting July 7.

"Open. That's a word that hasn't been used much in the world these days, huh? Well, 'open' is looking good for Dubai right now and we want to tell the world about it," says the voiceover, which proceeds to talk about how Dubai is open for business, a wealth of opportunities, hotels, the world's tallest building - but also for fun.

Visitors are invited to hit its ski slopes, or take a dip in its warm waters, dabble in the arts, experience Arabian culture - or just tick the boxes off their bucket list.

A new set of travel protocols was issued this week for citizens, residents and tourists in a bid to boost the travel and tourism sector.

In a statement issued by the Dubai Media Office yesterday, Sheikh Ahmed said, "Travel and tourism are among the key industries at the forefront of spurring global economic recovery. Our airports and national carriers are resuming larger scale operations by stringently implementing globally benchmarked precautionary and preventive measures that protect the health and safety of travellers."

Tourism readiness meetings

Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) reaffirmed its strong commitment to support its stakeholders in the UAE and across the world through a series of virtual meetings to discuss the current and post-pandemic situation, a statement issued by the Dubai Media Office on Monday said.

The meetings specifically reviewed the robust mechanism in place to safeguard the health of residents and visitors, and addressed a wide range of queries raised by participants on industry-related Covid-19 regulations, the phased reopening of economic sectors and various measures to kick-start the tourism sector.

Separate meetings were held with hotel owners, CEOs of hotel operator groups and other senior representatives from the aviation and hospitality sectors. The meetings with stakeholders were held within the framework of regular industry engagements initiated by the Department to provide a first-hand insight into industry developments and for an exchange of views with the aim of ensuring that the needs and concerns of stakeholders are brought to the attention of key decision makers and dealt with as quickly as possible within the current constraints to ensure the sustainability of the tourism ecosystem and business continuity.

Presided by the Director General of Dubai Tourism, the meetings were attended by hoteliers and top executives of hospitality groups including Jumeirah, Emaar Hospitality Group, Marriott International, Hilton, IHG, Millennium Group, Accor, Kerzner International, AAAGroup, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Nakheel, Majid Al Futtaim, Lakhraim, Abu Dhabi National Hotel, JA Resorts and Hotels, IHG, Shangri-La, Al Habtoor Group, Atlantis - The Palm, Hyatt International, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, Caesars Bluewaters Dubai, Wasl Hospitality and Rotana, in addition to Emirates.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, commented: "The series of meetings that we have initiated with industry leaders are crucial in ensuring that we are all aligned with the collective efforts being made under the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to restart the economy and for the effective implementation of our 'Tourism Readiness' strategy.

"With travel behaviours remaining fluid and travellers set to become even more discerning and prudent in their travel choices, we welcome the commitment shown by our partners to work together to help prepare the ground for a meaningful tourism restart so that the industry is well positioned to capture growth when the situation improves," Almarri added.

Reopening attractions responsibly

In addition to the extensive health and safety measures that have been implemented to minimise the impact of Covid-19 and safeguard the health of residents and visitors, the partners were also briefed on the progress made so far in the phased reopening of sectors including the travel and hospitality sectors and other infrastructure, attractions and facilities that could help boost demand for domestic tourism.

The meeting highlighted the phased reopening of hotel beaches, restaurants and the resumption of other tourism activities and flights to certain destinations by Emirates.

The participants were also provided an update on the marketing activities that are underway across key international markets to ensure the city continues to stay relevant and front of mind to both first-time and repeat visitors so that they choose to visit Dubai when it is safe to travel. They were given updates about the ongoing digital activation #Till We Meet Again and the recently launched #We Will See You Soon campaign.

Dubai Tourism is also working with social media and technology partners to sustain interest in Dubai as a must-visit destination.

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