Category Archives: Govt

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has announced hosting the PATA Annual Summit from May 15-18, 2020, organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). The four-day event will bring together international thought leaders, industry shapers and senior decision-makers who are professionally engaged with the Asia Pacific region. The summit embraces a global forum for enhancing the sustainable growth, value and quality of tourism and includes a one-day conference, the PATA Annual General Meeting and the PATA Youth Symposium that allows students and young tourism professionals an opportunity to engage with senior industry leaders. As part of the event programme, PATA in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) will also once again organise the UNWTO/PATA Leaders Debate which brings together senior executives from both the public and private sector to address thought-provoking issues currently affecting the industry. Dr Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, said, “Ras Al Khaimah has committed to supporting cultural, natural heritage and environmental preservation across the Emirate, activities which are aligned with PATA’s mission in acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. That is why we are honoured to be working with RAKTDA in bringing together our public and private sector members and partners to discuss the challenges and issues faced by our industry.” Commenting on the announcement, Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “We look forward to hosting the PATA Annual Summit 2020 in Ras Al Khaimah and introducing the destination to key international industry leaders and delegates from the travel and hospitality sector in the Asia Pacific region. Strengthening the Emirate’s MiCE offer by showcasing our world class …

The 57th ICCA Congress is set to take place from Nov 11-14, 2018 at Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Crown Prince, Dubai and Chairman, Executive Council of Dubai. The event will be familiarising delegates with the ICCA “Outside The Box Sessions” by introducing them to curated tours and site visits, showcasing the city’s cultural offerings, ground-breaking innovation and talent development. Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said, “The 2018 ICCA Congress is a key event for the global business events community and provides Dubai a platform to showcase itself as a business and knowledge hub. We hope these experiences, which involve some of our key stakeholders and partners across the city, will inspire delegates and allow them to consider future opportunities in the Dubai. They will also complement the strong core educational programme that ICCA has put together for delegates, as well as the networking and social events throughout the congress.” To help delegates build a more cohesive picture of Dubai, delegates can expect to explore the Expo 2020 Dubai site and see first-hand the scale of the global event and how it is set to provide opportunities for meeting industry professionals. The “Outside The Box Sessions” will also see delegates take a tour of the Emirates airline crew training academy and experience the development of skills as well as the importance of aviation to the city’s development. During the tour, delegates will have a first-hand look at the Emirates airline’s safety and emergency evacuation simulators, service training simulators, as well as the A380 cabin service simulator, among many others.

DCT Abu Dhabi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) to host the MTA’s annual World Medical Tourism & Global Healthcare Congress for the first time in Abu Dhabi . The event brings together experts and organisations from over 100 countries and attracts more than 10,000 visitors, approximately 200 exhibitors and sponsors and up to 100 hosted VIP buyers. The MoU agreement, signed by HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi and Jonathan Edelheit, CEO, Medical Tourism Association and Chairman & Co-Founder, Global Healthcare Resources, opens a pathway for the two entities to further build a medical tourism proposition for consumer markets in key areas, including Russia, China, India and across the GCC. The agreement also includes the opening of a new MTA office in Abu Dhabi as well as the production of a new Abu Dhabi Destination Guide, which will be used to further promote the destination for the targeted regions. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “This agreement is in line with our mandate to promote Abu Dhabi on the world stage and to support Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030, designed to guide our emirate’s growth and development. The experience and knowledge shared under this MoU will greatly enhance the emirate’s ability to appeal to our intended markets as we look to increase the contribution of medical tourism to the UAE’s economy.” Jonathan Edelheit, Chairman & CEO, Medical Tourism Association, said, “The partnership between the MTA and DCT Abu Dhabi will boost the medical travel industry. It is our goal to establish Abu Dhabi as the most trusted medical tourism destination, initiating joint trade missions into the GCC, China and …

Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will be back for its 24th edition from December 26, 2018 to January 26, 2019, attracting shoppers from all over the world. Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), DSF will kick off with innovative initiatives and memorable experiences built around the three pillars of the festival – shopping, winning and entertainment. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) said, “As Dubai gears up to host yet another successful edition of Dubai Shopping Festival, we are focused on creating a vibrant ambience for visitors to further enhance the emirate’s position as a leading tourism destination that offers unforgettable and rewarding shopping experiences. With DSF being a key pillar of Dubai’s retail sector, we are keen in keeping up the momentum, provided by the previous edition, to help boost business in Dubai during this period. We are grateful to the government and the private sector for their enormous contributions to DSF year after year, and with the 24th edition of DSF set to dawn in December, we are working closely with all our partners to ensure that DSF truly lives up to its reputation as a global attraction.”  

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has been named the best government entity in the emirate for the provision of ‘Smart Services’ by Abu Dhabi’s Smart Solutions and Services Authority (ADSSSA). The Institutional Maturity Index, which is rated by ADSSSA, assessed 24 of DCT Abu Dhabi’s ‘Smart Services’, with DCT Abu Dhabi’s Innovation and Smart Technologies Department scoring record maturity levels, topping 37 other government entities in the emirate. Representing DCT Abu Dhabi, Nawal Rashid Al Hassani, Executive Director, Strategy and Planning Sector, received the award during a ceremony organised by ADSSSA. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Available around-the -clock, our ‘smart services’ have helped to streamline DCT’s application-processing operations and elevate customer satisfaction, offering transparency and easy access for customers to contact us via smart phones anytime, anywhere. Striving to improve our online services and making them part of our daily operations, we have launched many important initiatives to develop our service system locally and globally.”  

All over the United Arab Emirates, various programmes are being held to celebrate United nations world tourism day that falls on September 27, 2018. In light of the celebration, His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), said, “The Authority highlights the positive impact of modern digital technologies in creating a meaningful tourism experience for our visitors. Mobile applications have facilitated and enhanced tourism activities within the emirate, allowing tourists to have easy access to services. We are continuously working with stakeholders to tap the vast potentials of the digital transformation within our various initiatives and programmes to further drive growth in the tourism sector.” Dr Layla Al Marzouqi, Director, Health Tourism Department, Dubai Health Authority, said, “The recent issuance of the Law No. (8) of 2018, ahead of the World Tourism Day on September 27, strengthens the Dubai Health Authority’s role in enabling healthcare to significantly contribute towards achieving Dubai’s tourism goals. Resonating with this year’s theme ‘Tourism and the Digital Transformation,’ the new law will enable us to accelerate the integration of latest innovations and technologies into Dubai’s healthcare sector to further enhance its competitiveness and transparency.” Keeping his focus on attracting more tourists to the emirate, Dr Cedwyn Fernandes, Director and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University Dubai, said, “Tourism plays a huge role in the UAE’s development and growth. The latest government initiatives such as VAT refund and transit visa provisions aim to attract even more travellers to the region. We are excited about welcoming our esteemed panel for a discussion on the future of digital transformation in tourism.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) officially opened the Travel Agents Federation of India’s (TAFI) annual convention at Emirates Palace on September 25. The 12th edition of the event, which will run until September 27, has gathered together key decision-makers from the Indian tourism industry to exchange knowledge and help members navigate the ever-evolving business environment. The event will lead the discussion on impact of the digital world on the travel and tourism sectors. The convention is themed “Innovation – Transform – Disrupt – Redefining the Offline Travel World”, with DCT Abu Dhabi planning to follow the opening evening event with sightseeing tours around Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions. All the top tourism offerings and iconic landmarks such as Louvre Abu Dhabi, Al Ain Palace Museum, Al Ain Oasis, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, among others, will be included in the itinerary. The conference opened with a welcome address by HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi followed by an inaugural address by HE Navdeep Singh Suri, Ambassador of India to the UAE. The following two days will feature business sessions to discuss pertinent issues related to the tourism industry and media tours.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched an advanced language-learning programme, which aims to support the tourism promotion operations carried out by the Department’s regional offices in 10 countries around the world. As part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s strategy to develop skills and competencies, the programme is designed to equip employees in overseas offices with the ability to better communicate, using their host country’s language. This includes six languages that represent Abu Dhabi’s top visitor source markets –  English, French, German, Hindi, Chinese and Arabic. Organised in collaboration with Berlitz International Language Institute, the programme offers a training period of at least two months in Abu Dhabi, and is a part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s series of advanced management training. HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Communicating with international markets in their own mother tongue will significantly expand our overseas offices’ reach and the capability to promote Abu Dhabi internationally. We have received a promising response by using the languages of the countries we operate in, proving the importance of providing language classes to our employees to enable them to convey messages and deliver Abu Dhabi’s image to the world effectively. As language is as much about layers of cultural context and national history, this strategy stands as a very powerful tool for tourism promotion.” Mastering local languages is a highly effective tool in tourism promotion, and will further support DCT Abu Dhabi’s global positioning of the emirate as an exceptional destination for visitors and future investors.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has launched a new manual to streamline the process of organising and implementing consumer fairs and exhibitions in the UAE capital. The new manual, which is available on DCT Abu Dhabi’s corporate website and Events Licensing System, covers such events as consumer exhibitions and events open to the public where products are sold and outlines best practices for ensuring each event offers an enhanced overall experience for visitors. The manual includes an explanation of the standards and procedures required to either maintain or improve facilities and services each event offers, as well as working in coordination with the DCT Abu Dhabi Events Licensing System, which provides a fast effective solution for registering and licensing all events held in Abu Dhabi. It incorporates a database for event type and information, category, speakers and activities, as well as containing indicators of tourism performance, growth orientations and of an event’s success and fulfillment of its set objectives. “This new manual lays out DCT Abu Dhabi’s recommended procedures for organising and presenting consumer fairs and exhibitions. This reflects our commitment to streamlining the process of hosting events here in Abu Dhabi, and we hope the manual will act as a catalyst for entrepreneurs and small-to-medium sized businesses with an interest in putting on events in the UAE capital,” said Nasser Al Rayami, Licence & Regulatory Compliance Department Director, DCT Abu Dhabi.

The latest figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) for the emirate’s hospitality sector show the number of hotel guests staying in Abu Dhabi during June rose by 6 per cent compared to the same month a year ago, with Saudi Arabian and American guests underpinning the uplift. Completing a record-breaking first half of the year, June’s results reveal the Department’s plans to exceed 2017’s record-breaking numbers of guest arrivals, when close to five million people stayed in the emirate, are on track. In total 339,592 visitors were guests of Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments during June, an increase of more than 19,000 over the previous year. For the first six months of 2018, the figures show Abu Dhabi upping the total number of hotel guests to the emirate by 5 per cent on the year, with 2,413,230 guests in total arriving. HE Sultan Al Dhaheri, Executive Director, Tourism Sector – DCT Abu Dhabi, added, “We are delighted to see hotel guest numbers and occupancy rates in positive territory for all three of Abu Dhabi’s distinct regions. As pleasing as it is to see visitors from both Saudi Arabia and the US arriving in such numbers, we will continue to strongly focus on all of our key markets for the second half of the year, promoting our latest tourism and cultural assets alongside the diverse range of offerings we already showcase.”