Dubai establishes network of tourism industry stakeholder forums

Increased communications and knowledge sharing will enhance existing partnerships and build new relationships geared towards driving tourism growth

Dubai, UAE, 12 February, 2015: Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has concluded the first in a series of stakeholder engagement committees designed to increase communications and knowledge sharing between key sectors of the emirate’s tourism economy. The committees are the centre of a wider global network, established to enhance partnerships that will contribute to driving the growth of visitor numbers and achieve the targets set out in Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2020.

At a domestic level, five sectors central to the growth of the tourism industry have been identified – Hotels; Retail; Aviation; Land Developers; and travel trade, comprised of Destination Management Companies (DMC’s) and Professional Conference Organisers (PCO’s). For each sector, DTCM has established a stakeholder engagement committee that will meet on a quarterly basis to discuss the status of the sector and opportunities for growth, with the objective being to facilitate faster decision making and reactions to market changes. In recognition of the importance of continued development of Dubai’s mid-market hotel offer, separate committees have been established for the luxury sector and the mid-market sector.

On a biannual basis, a General Assembly for each sector will be held, during which the committee will update their peers on the outcomes of the quarterly meetings; and on an annual basis, representatives from each sector will meet at a Dubai CEO summit, resulting in high-level engagement across the tourism economy. Further, in line with the Dubai Government’s Smart City Initiative, the series of committees will be supported by the development of online communities, enabling all stakeholder to participate and interact with their peers.

Speaking after a meeting of representatives from Dubai’s luxury hotel sector, His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DTCM, commented: “This initiative is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, towards strengthening industry relationships with strategic partners both in Dubai and around the world. A core driver of Dubai’s tourism industry growth has been the close collaboration between the government and private sector and part of DTCM’s role is to continue to harness the collective power of tourism stakeholders. Ongoing collaboration between and across all verticals of the tourism economy is essential to achieving the target of 20 million visitors per year by 2020 and through creating a series of committees focused on growth opportunities we will enhance the already strong partnerships that exist domestically and build new partnerships with international stakeholders.”

In addition to the domestic forums, DTCM will host CEO-level sector international forums in a number of regions, including GCC, Middle East & Africa; Asia-Pacific; Russia & Eastern Europe; Western Europe; the Indian Subcontinent; and the Americas. The international forums will be comprised of industry leaders from airlines; hotel groups; Global Distribution Systems; and online travel agents, hotel providers and aggregators.

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of DTCM, concluded: In an increasingly competitive global industry, destinations must work closer with airlines, hotel groups and the travel trade to identify opportunities for mutually-beneficial growth.”

QUOTES FROM INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS

Speaking after a meeting of representatives from Dubai’s 5 Star Hotel sector, held on Wednesday 21st January:

Philippe Zuber, Chief Operating Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group: “This forum is important for our respective organisations in aligning strategies and focusing on core priorities. In our industry, such meetings of hoteliers are rare and DTCM’s initiative to bring us together in the spirit of collaboration for the greater good of the destination is the first of its kind. Further, the quality of data and research shared by DTCM during this meeting was world class and extremely valuable in our future planning.”

Alison Broadhead, Chief Commercial Officer, Jumeirah Group: “The industry forums initiated by DTCM provide an excellent platform to share information, review research and forward plan to ensure we exceed expectations of all guests who either visit Dubai regularly or are travelling here for the first time. Dubai’s combination of quality, luxury, innovation and variety across all tourism sectors puts us firmly in the headlines as a truly dynamic and diverse destination, offering a broad range of experiences and world class service. The collaboration of industry professionals is essential as we strive to accommodate the ever increasing number of guest arrivals from mature and emerging markets who are all looking for a memorable and high value visit.”

Haitham Mattar, Head of Sales, Hilton Worldwide – MEA, Russia & CIS countries: “It is delightful to see this level of collaboration between DTCM and the key stakeholders in the hotel and tourism industry across Dubai. The research, activity and amount of investment made by the DTCM is unparalleled and something I have never seen in my previous 15 years in Dubai. This is an excellent way forward as today we are all aligned on driving the one vision for Dubai: making it the number one destination choice for families, couples and business travellers.”

About Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM)

With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world’s leading tourism destination and commercial hub, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (DTCM) mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai to global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the Emirate.

DTCM is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development and marketing of Dubai’s tourism sector. It markets and promotes the Emirate’s commerce sector, and is responsible for the licensing and classification of all tourism services, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents. Brands and departments within the DTCM portfolio include Dubai Convention and Events Bureau, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (formerly known as Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment). In addition to its headquarters in Dubai, DTCM operates 20 offices worldwide.