Dubai Tourism welcomes continued support of global hospitality partners

DUBAI- As Dubai further consolidates its strategic partnerships in domestic and international markets during the post-pandemic period, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has highlighted the pivotal role played by global hospitality partners in accelerating the city’s tourism recovery.

At a meeting with the General Managers of Marriott International hotels in Dubai, Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism, referred to the critical support provided by Marriott in showcasing the city as a safe must-visit destination, further instilling confidence among global travellers. During the meeting, Kazim recapped the efforts made by stakeholders and partners, such as Marriott International, to help bring about industry stabilisation, and also shared a positive industry overview, underlined by the steady growth in international visits and high hotel occupancy levels during the first seven months of 2021. He highlighted the fact that Dubai was ranked second globally, ahead of London and Paris, in terms of hotel occupancy, with hotels enjoying 61 percent average occupancy levels from January to July 2021.

Kazim also spoke of the importance of leveraging all efforts to attract more international visitors, especially benefiting from Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE Golden Jubilee celebrations.

With the hospitality sector employing a local and expatriate workforce that boasts unrivalled service excellence, Dubai Tourism also stressed the need for hotels to use the Dubai Way online platform created by the Dubai College of Tourism, which ensures that hotel staff impart standardised information and instructions and provide exceptional guest relations.

"The growing industry momentum is the result of a robust strategy that was developed to manage the pandemic, under the visionary leadership and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. We are also heartened by the commitment of our stakeholders and partners, like Marriott International, to stay the course and convey to the world that Dubai remains open and safe for global travellers.

We are proud of the enormous contribution hotels have made with their own strategies and initiatives, in the true spirit of collaboration during these extraordinary circumstances, and we are also grateful to their support in ensuring that the industry enjoys continued success," said Kazim.

Participants at the meeting were also provided a brief overview of the marketing initiatives launched by Dubai Tourism in international markets, including the latest global campaign, Dubai Presents, featuring Hollywood stars Jessica Alba and Zac Efron, which was screened at the meeting. Following the launch of the first two cinematic trailers, Spy Action and RomCom, the campaign generated over 200 million views.