Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

A delegation led by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) attended an executive summit recently held at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, USA. The event offered DCT Abu Dhabi and its partners, Etihad Airways, Miral, ADNEC, and Aldar, the opportunity to explore Google’s main campus as well as giving exclusive insight into the tech giant’s work culture, technology, and innovations. As part of DCT Abu Dhabi’s mission to position Abu Dhabi as a thriving tourism destination of distinction, the summit aimed to further coordinate the commercial activity of all attending organisations by reviewing with Google shared best practice and process efficiencies, a joint approach to positioning Abu Dhabi as one of the world’s top destinations. Sessions were organised around the unique working culture at Google, on digital brand building and the variety of Google travel products, as well as trends that are shaping the industry. Google also organised an exclusive presentation by Visit California, as a way of sharing experiences among tourism boards, with particular emphasis on organisational structure, objectives and marketing strategy. The second day of the Executive Summit was dedicated to discussion and interactive sessions on Abu Dhabi’s tourism ecosystem and fostering collaboration between different entities, with the help of Google’s system intelligence and technology. Among a number of agreed action points from the summit was a shared data initiative intended to significantly bolster the tourism ecosystem of the Emirate, as well as further cooperation on consistently presenting the destination brand.

As Sharjah drives towards welcoming 10 million tourists by 2021, the retail tourism sector is being developed by Majid Al Futtaim. The latest family lifestyle and entertainment tourism destination is the Sharjah City Center which was refurbished and expanded with a cost of over AED 260 million to a spacious 51,000 plus sq ft. area housing over 23 new brands, unique cinematic experience with Michelin chef served menus and 1400 plus new parking slots. “We work very closely with hotels, agents and Sharjah tourism to ensure that we present a good retail tourism destination which could attract tourists from all over the world. We are constantly working towards reimagining the retail and leisure landscape to meet the evolving demands of our discerning shoppers and retain our position as their preferred shopping destination in Sharjah. The new, revitalised City Centre Sharjah is a result of valuable feedback from our long-standing customers who seek trendy international brands, exciting F&B concepts that appease a plethora of tastes and a destination where they can spend hours with their loved ones enjoying the wide variety of entertainment options,” said Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, Managing Director for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Shopping Malls (UAE, Bahrain & Oman). The mall has been redesigned with a skylight roof to allow for more natural light and spacious storefronts that extends a fresh and contemporary feel to make every visit pleasurable. Keeping accessibility and convenience of shoppers at the heart of the project, City Centre Sharjah has revamped the carpark with 1,426 parking bays and easy entry and exit routes close to the mall’s anchor stores.

Several major announcements were made on the progress of investments to Sharjah recently. It was announced that His Excellency Marwan bin Jassim Al Serkal, was entrusted the position of Executive Chairman of Shurooq under the Emiri deree by His Highness Sheikh Dr.Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council; Ruler of Sharjah. Al Serkal has been one of the key leaders in Sharjah’s tourism industry growth and has contributed immensely over the period he served as Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to mid- 2018. Under his leadership and vision at Shurooq, Al Serkal has actively diversified the emirate’s tourism sector by developing the eco-tourism in Kalba, beach tourism in Khorfakkan, cultural tourism in the city of Sharjah with attractions like Al Qasba destination, Al Majaz waterfront, Flag island and Al Maraya art center. He stated, “We are attracting and focusing on developing investments for Sharjah, making it a hub for investors to diversify the economy of the emirate of Sharjah. During the past few months Shurooq signed a few MOUs for high end tourism development.” Some of them are Palace in Al Khan beach, boutique hotel in the cultural district and the island development project. As Sharjah is on its way to receiving 10 million tourists by 2021, Shurooq is entrusted with obtaining more investments to develop the emirate of Sharjah. His Excellency Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qassimi, member of the Executive council of Sharjah and Executive Chairman of the department of government Relations, Chairman of Sharjah Supreme committee for digitalization stated that by 2019, Sharjah will be a data driven nation by digitalizing 90 per cent.

In a move to enhance destination awareness and foster market visibility, the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has appointed VFS Global to promote Zimbabwe as a preferred tourism destination in both India and GCC region, through a collaborative relationship. The agreement was officially signed by Karikoga Kaseke, Chief Executive of the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority Office Boardroom, Harare in the presence of other eminent dignitaries from VFS Global, travel and trade fraternity. A world of wonders, Zimbabwe prides itself to being home of the Majestic Victoria Falls; one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a World Heritage Site that is the biggest curtain of water in the world in the Zambezi River. As part of the agreement, VFS Global would support ZTA to build a unique identity of Zimbabwe as a potential tourist destination by educating and spreading awareness to tour operators, travel agents, MICE planners and the general traveller based in India or GCC region.

Abu Dhabi has decided to cut tourism and municipality fees to boost tourism and spur investments in the hospitality sector. HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi said, “The Executive Council’s decision to adopt the proposal, put forward by the Department of Culture and Tourism- Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), to reduce tourism and municipality fees will enhance the Emirate’s international tourism competitiveness by strengthening Abu Dhabi’s value proposition, and by encouraging investments in the hospitality and tourism sectors. Abu Dhabi’s hotel establishments will be further able to record high occupancy rates compared to the regional and global tourism markets. “With this decision, hotels and hospitality establishments can achieve more growth and stay in line with the continuous development of the emirate’s infrastructure and its wide variety of cultural and leisure attractions. The adoption of the proposal will enhance Abu Dhabi’s attractiveness to investors and support the development of additional tourism projects and hotels. It will also strengthen the emirate’s position as a leading tourism destination for both business and leisure.” HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi said, “The adoption of the new tourism and municipality fees is driven by the leadership’s vision to support the hospitality and tourism sectors and encourage further economic diversification. This move will attract further investment to the capital and underpin Abu Dhabi’s aim to expand its tourism proposition and increase visitor numbers.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced details of both the upcoming Eid Fest celebrations and the annual Abu Dhabi Summer Season; two marquee events for the emirate which aim to attract more overseas visitors to the UAE capital and to thrill and delight all-comers. Both events have been geared to provide both visitors and residents, especially families and bargain hunters, with something to get excited about, with sought-after experiences and fantastic promotional deals for all – making Abu Dhabi the place to be this summer. The celebrations get off to a spectacular start with a 24-hour mall mega sale, featuring discounts of up to 90 per cent, as part of Eid Fest celebrations. With more than 500 stores involved, the sale will kick off on Friday, June 15 and run until Saturday, June 16th in a bid to bring families and friends to Abu Dhabi. HE Sultan Al Mutawa Al Dhaheri, Executive Director of the Tourism Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “The Eid Fest celebrations and Abu Dhabi Summer Season are annual anchor activations that aim to underpin the Emirate’s credentials as a destination of distinction during the summer, especially for families looking for unmissable experiences and offers. It forms part of our long-term strategy to incentivise the private sector and tourism industry and get them involved in event development while building both regional and international awareness of the emirate’s appeal.”

The number of hotel guests staying in the emirate’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments increased by 7.3 per cent for the first four months of 2018, compared to the same period last year to number 1,724,967, according to figures released by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). The total number of hotel guests was boosted by key international markets registering impressive percentage gains. During April, the numbers of visitors from leading international source market China increased by 9.6 per cent to number 37,300, Indian guest figures increased by 15.9 per cent to number 32,400 and the US increased by 16.2 per cent to reach 15,900. The impressive figures mean that Abu Dhabi’s aim of achieving another record-breaking year for hotel guest is still on target. Last year, just below five million visitors stayed in Abu Dhabi city, Al Al Ain Region and the Al Dhafra Region’s range of accommodation and 2018’s figures so far put the emirate on track to surpass this impressive figure. UAE-based guests into the emirate also increased across the first four months of the year, to number 489,081, a rise from 2017’s total of 488,881 for the same period. From January until April, China has maintained its position as the leading international hotel guest supplier for Abu Dhabi, with more than 164,500 Chinese staying in the emirate – an increase of 25.8% compared to the same period in 2017. Indian visitors have surged past 132,000 and showed a 26.8% increase, but still maintain second place for overseas guest arrivals. The US market registered a 22.2% increase, the UK up 13.7% and Germany are up 16.9%.

In line with the Sultanate of Oman’s efforts to become a leading global destination for business and leisure by 2040 under the Oman Tourism Strategy, the Ministry of Oman recently launched a major marketing campaign in partnership with Holidayfactory.com. The campaign highlights Oman’s most attractive and widely visited historical sites, featuring the richness of Oman’s ancient culture and civilization, through a series of marketing and promotional offers, and is seen to boost cultural awareness and enhance tourism development. The tie-up with Holidayfactory.com, a premium-experience travel website based in the UAE, is testament to the Sultanate’s distinct advantage as a destination of choice in the GCC and Arab region, which further strengthens the Ministry’s moves to increase partnership with the private sector to cement Oman’s leading position in the global tourism map. The marketing campaign also includes discounts and packages including tickets and accommodations to encourage travelers to visit and discover Oman.

Tencent has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) to jointly enhance Dubai’s reputation as a sought-after destination and spearhead smart tourism along the route of the Belt and Road Initiative. Poshu Yeung, Vice President,Tencent International Business Group (IBG), and Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), signed the MoU as a continued commitment to promoting Dubai tourism. Making use of Tencent’s expertise in Chinese consumer engagement and Dubai Tourism’s influence and network in Dubai, the partnership aims to foster the development of the tourism industry in Dubai through elevating Dubai Tourism’s marketing outreach efforts to China consumers, enhancing Chinese visitors’ travel experience in Dubai with Tencent’s leading digital platforms in China as well as deepening local merchants’ understanding of Chinese travelers’ consumption behavior via WeChat user insights. With more than 1.04 billion monthly active users as of Q1 2018, WeChat and Weixin offer an excellent integrated platform to raise brand awareness among Chinese travelers. Tencent IBG’s “Social Ad Solutions” will enable Dubai Tourism to optimize the return on media investments and reach out to the key target audience segments. Tencent also provides support to other stakeholders in formulating in-market solutions that are customized to fit specific brand objectives.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) led a delegation of partners and stakeholders to the ITB China in a bid to capitalise on and reinforce the emirate’s popularity with Chinese travellers. The Department was joined by five key stakeholders at the travel and tourism fair, which is being held at the Shanghai World Expo and Exhibition Centre from May 16-18, including Etihad Airways, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Miral, Nirvana Travel & Tourism, and Omeir Travel Agency. Inbound visitor arrivals from China have seen dramatic rises over recent years, with the number of hotel guest rising almost 40 per cent in 2017 compared to the previous year. The first quarter of 2018 has also seen China maintain its position as leading international hotel guest supplier, with more than 127,000 Chinese staying in the emirate – an increase of 31% compared to the same period in 2017. Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director Promotions & Overseas Offices, said, “China is our number one overseas market for guests, with huge increases over the past couple of years. The first quarter of this year has continued this upward trend, with more than 30 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2017.” “These gains have been the result of the sustained attention we have given to our Chinese market, with initiatives such as sending our Discover Abu Dhabi roadshows and Abu Dhabi Week events to the country, as well investing in a targeted digital campaign in China,” Al Nuaimi said.