Dubai Tourism Rallies the VFR Market Through #MyDubai Hotel Edition

Families of employees at 11 leading Dubai hotels are experiencing a trip of a lifetime to the Emirate

Dubai, UAE; 17 May 2015: Dubai Tourism is uniting families across the globe and demonstrating the importance of the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market to the Emirate.

Part of the wider #MyDubai initiative, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) ran an exclusive hotel competition in 2014. The competition, spread over a period of three weeks, invited employees of each participating hotel to post images or videos that best defined their #MyDubai experience with one winner selected from each hotel. The 11 finalists each won an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai for two members of their families to experience the city with them.  The campaign and prizes embody the soul of Dubai - uniting families with their loved ones, celebrating their emotions and creating special moments for them to share. It further highlights Dubai’s positioning as a family destination that offers a unique getaway for the entire family with events and activities to entertain all ages.

Dubai Tourism and 11 participating hotels are hosting families from India, China, Australia, the UK, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Venezuela, Thailand and Portugal after their family member won the #MyDubai Hotel Edition competition by sharing their individual #MyDubai stories, moments and experiences on Instagram.

On Sunday 17^th May, the winners and their families came together for a farewell brunch at The H Dubai which was a chance for the visitors to share their Dubai experiences together and reflect on what they have discovered in the emirate before flying back to their home countries.

Aside from enjoying four nights in the hotel at which their respective family member works, the visitors have been offered various experiences including hot air ballooning with Ballooning Adventures Emirates, a cultural experience at Sheikh Mohammed Cultural Centre of Understanding (SMCCU) including an Abra ride, a tour of Deira and the Spice and Gold Souks and a Desert Safari experience with Platinum Heritage. Several personalized activities have also been included for family groups including visits to the Butterfly Garden; Bounce – Dubai’s largest trampoline playground; Spa treatments; culinary experiences at Top Chef; Sky Diving in the desert; and a styling session with a stylist at The Dubai Mall.

Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing said “We launched this competition at Dubai Tourism’s  first quarterly “Hotels PR and Communications Forum” in September 2014  with the aim of encouraging hotels to engage their staff to share their stories and highlight the VFR market of Dubai as a whole. The winners of our competition are from nine different countries which is quite a diverse mix but this reflects the fact that there are more than 200 nationalities uniting and living in Dubai and the hospitality industry is a reflection of the diversity found within Dubai.

“As the project comes into full fruition, we will continue to highlight how important the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market is to Dubai Tourism and the industry as a whole but we will also continue to recognize the hard work of all the employees of hotels who dedicate themselves to creating an enjoyable experience for all guests, from all over the world including UAE residents. Many of our winners hadn’t seen their families for quite some time, several hadn’t ever seen where their son or daughter worked nor visited Dubai,” Kazim continued.

The participating hotels are The H Dubai; Media One Hotel; Kempinski Dubai – Mall of the Emirates; Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort and Spa; Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel; Mövenpick Ibn Batutta Gate Hotel; Four Points by Sheraton – Bur Dubai; Ramada Dubai – Bur Dubai; Manzil Downtown Dubai Hotel; Holiday Inn Express Jumeirah; and InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City.

“The H Dubai is delighted to have been involved in the #MyDubai Hotel Edition as it enabled us to reward our associates and furthermore learn about their Dubai experiences and stories. Sometimes, with our busy daily routines, we forget that we all have tales to tell and experiences to share which can often highlight a different side to the unique Emirate of Dubai. From all corners of the globe and from all walks of life – this project has enabled us to unite and showcase that Dubai is a city for everyone,” commented Guy Bertuad from The H Dubai.

Launched via His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai’s Instagram and Twitter accounts in in January 2014, #MyDubai encourages both residents of Dubai and visitors to the emirate to share compelling moments of their lives and the true culture and soul of the city that lies beneath the urban and technological experiences. Up to date, over 4.2 million stories and experiences have been shared using #MyDubai on Instagram.

Dubai Tourism has a dedicated YouTube channel and a Facebook account to promote #MyDubai stories and footage.

About #MyDubai:

The #MyDubai initiative was created by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, with a request for residents and visitors to join him in sharing photos, videos and stories on social media and show their experiences of Dubai. The intention is to celebrate the everyday lives of the people and communities of the Emirate and show the city that is beneath the landmarks, headlines and superlatives.

The contributions will be shared across social media platforms and in other forms of creative media such as exhibitions and art installations. Launching the initiative, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said: “A city’s story is created by its people and it’s time to join together and show the world how 2.1 million people can create one remarkable story: together we will create the world’s first autobiography of a city.” A selection of contributions can be seen @MyDubai on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

#MyDubaiTrip

In September 2014, twelve of the world’s most influential Instagram photographers were invited to explore Dubai and document their experiences. Each itinerary was crafted by Dubai’s renowned social media storytellers to give them a chance to discover the soul of the city from the headline-making, to the undiscovered gems.

#MyDubaiTrip documents their journeys through a social travel series of mini documentaries hosted by Emirati brothers, Mohamed and Peyman Al Awadhi.

#MyDubai and Virgin Radio’s ‘V Team’

In January 2015, Virgin Radio 104.4, the UAE’s most popular English language radio station,  launched the “V Team”, a new concept to entertain people around the city of Dubai. Launched in partnership with #MyDubai, V Team presenters took branded Virgin Radio cars on to the roads to interact with and entertain Dubai’s residents and tourists. To support the #MyDubai initiative, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the V Team encouraged listeners to share their pictures and stories of their favourite parts of Dubai.

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

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 (Dubai Tourism) mission is to increase the awareness of Dubai to global audiences and to attract tourists and inward investment into the emirate.

Dubai Tourism 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 Dubai Tourism 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, Dubai Tourism operates 20 offices worldwide.