Dubai Tourism hosts African travel industry

Dubai / Emirates Business

Arabian Falcon Holidays (AFH), the largest independent timeshare player in the Middle East, has recently hosted a delegation from the African travel industry at The Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers as part of the mega familiarisation trip organised by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
AFH extended a site visit of the accommodation options available for timeshare members, and hosted a networking dinner for the group.
DTCM invited over 300 delegates from the African travel sector to provide them a first-hand experience of Dubai as an ideal year-round destination for families and holidaymakers. During the familiarisation trip, the
delegates participated in tours and activities showcasing Dubai’s attractions. They were also engaged in DTCM’s workshop and on-site travel mart in which AFH had a successful participation.
Mohannad Sharafuddin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AFH, said: “The visit by this delegation forges a stronger relationship between us and our new travel trade partners from Africa, in line with DTCM’s thrust of promoting Dubai in the continent. This is an opportunity for them to understand the timeshare facilities in Dubai and realise the benefits of collaborating with reputed companies in providing the best services to tourists from Africa.”
“Dubai is a global hotspot that offers an array of wholesome tourist attractions and activities, convenient visa procedures, premium accommodations, various shopping avenues, as well as hospitable and respectful
reception to all guests including family holidaymakers. This is something
visitors from Africa are keen to explore and hence we foresee a big
opportunity in that market,” Sharafuddin added.
The growth potential for African family visitors is significant with the opening of theme parks in Dubai. Likewise, an exponential growth in the timeshare industry is expected once the theme parks open by the end of 2016. Based on the AFH Economic Report, the timeshare market will grow strongly, surpassing the average growth rates of 15% to 20% per year, with 2017 heralding a new era that will witness 50% growth driven primarily by tourists visiting the theme parks. More than 6.7 million ticketed visits are expected in 2017, according to Dubai Parks and Resort.
Stella Obinwa, Regional Director International Operations – Africa of DTCM, said, “This African mega familiarisation trip has the dual objective of showcasing Dubai as the destination of choice for families and travellers from one of the world’s largest continents, and also that the city is truly a year-round travel consideration.”
“As part of the efforts to meet Dubai Tourism’s vision of attracting 20 million visitors by 2020, we continue to work closely with our stakeholders and partners to encourage more visitors from the African source markets. This is being further driven by a strong development of overall product offering, which sees accommodation, theme parks, retail propositions and attraction-led experiences in existence and opening in the coming months, which will strongly resonate with African visitors,” Obinwa added.