Dubai Tourism showcases new attractions at London’s WTM

Dubai / Emirates Business

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) showcased the emirate’s finest family attractions, experiences and hotels last week at World Travel Market (WTM). During the exhibition, from November 7 – 10, at London’s Excel Centre the Dubai Tourism delegation, along with over 50 industry partners, used it as a platform to highlight the latest attractions to open in the emirate, the appeal of Dubai as a winter sun destination and innovations in enhancing visitor experience across the city including the interactive Visit Dubai app, an updated Dubai Calendar app and innovative Dubai360 Virtual Reality experience. A brand new video highlighting Hatta as a haven for outdoor adventure was also shown for the very first time at the Dubai stand.
Addressing Dubai Tourism’s participation, Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai’s Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) said: “The UK remains one of our top 10 source markets and our participation in this exhibition was an opportunity for us to bring the best of Dubai to a key audience. The reveal of the Hatta promotional video was just one way for us to showcase all that the emirate has to offer – often elements that are off the usual tourist trail and not so well known.”
With the launch of new features on Dubai Calendar’s digital platforms, Dubai residents and visitors can now explore the city’s year-round event listings through a more streamlined process. The latest application upgrade includes an in-app portal which allows users to purchase event tickets directly without needing to access multiple third-party platforms. Additionally, the optimised app will provide users with integrated access to Google Maps and push notifications, offering a more efficient and hassle-free experience.
“We are committed to transforming the emirate into one of the smartest cities in an increasingly connected world – just a small selection of the technology enabling this shift was on display at WTM this year. We recently announced that Dubai has passed the 100,000 rooms milestone and this is key when it comes to our ever expanding tourism offering ensuring we not only keep up with demand but also offer a broad and diverse accommodation portfolio to cater to travellers on all budgets”, continued Kazim.
The DUBAI360 Virtual Reality experience was also displayed prominently at the stand, which recently generated considerable interest as part of a large experiential activation in London’s Waterloo Station. Using the latest in technology to promote Dubai’s destination offering, the three-minute clip virtually transports people to the top of the Burj Khalifa, immediately followed by a thrilling motorbike ride over desert dunes, a deep dive into the Dubai Aquarium, a glance at one of Dubai’s beautiful beaches and a plunge into the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf for a myriad of water sports.
Visitors to the Dubai stand were invited to engage with partners including IMG Worlds of Adventure, the world’s biggest indoor theme park and Dubai Parks and Resorts, home to three theme parks and a waterpark. The culture and heritage of Dubai were showcased through traditional calligraphy and henna brought by Dubai Culture and the Dubai Tourism delegation was joined on the stand by a further 50 partners from the emirate’s tourism industry, all of which were able to use WTM as a platform to meet and engage with media and the trade to further relationships and encourage an increase in visitors from the UK to Dubai.
Each year more than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, visit WTM – one of the leading global events for the travel
industry and travel media.