DUBAI has launched a new
brand and logo, which
are key to achieving its
2020 goal of welcoming 20m
annual visitors and coinciding
with its hosting of Expo 2020.
The tourism authority
revealed its new look and
strategy at the Arabian Travel
Market 2014, which was held
from May 5-9 in the capital.
Director of communications
for Dubai’s Department of
Tourism and Commerce
Marketing (DTCM), Charlie
Taylor, said the city’s brightly
coloured new logo represented
the fusion of the two cultures
that comprised Dubai – the
logo spells out Dubai in both
English and Arabic.
“The new brand shows
a different side to Dubai,
challenging the perception
that currently exists. Dubai
is known as a must-see
destination but we want it
to be viewed as a ‘mustexperience’
destination.”
He said the destination
provided a wide variety of
experiences for travellers of
all ages and interests. “In
Dubai you can dine in an
aquarium, something you
can’t necessarily experience
anywhere else.”
The city had set many new
records with its remarkable
landmarks and attractions but
the time had come for the city
to tell a broader story in the
way of events and festivals,
Charlie added.
Dubai hosted its first-ever
Food and Motor festivals last
year. It also plays host to
the Indian Premier League
and a number of different
music events. “Because
of the cultural diversity of
the city, we make sure that
we have something for
everyone,” Charlie said. South
Africans would be particularly
interested to hear that Trevor
Noah was among the acts
recently brought to the city.
The city will see the
development of a number of
theme parks over the next
couple of years, he added.
Focus on MICE
An important point of focus for
Dubai in its 2020 plan is the
growth of MICE business.
Charlie said the city had
plans to grow inbound MICE
travel by 50% in 2020. Key
to this objective will be the
development of more threeand
four-star hotels.
Charlie said Dubai’s
ability to provide delegates
with every possible kind of
accommodation and facility
stood the city in good stead
to cater for MICE travellers.
The capital’s location is also
a draw card, he said, making
it an ideal destination for
delegates from around the
world to meet.
Emirates accelerates growth
DTCM plans to attract 20
million visitors to the city,
and Emirates Airline will fly
them there – and beyond.
The airline aims to carry
70 million passengers
per annum, across six
continents, using 250 aircraft
by 2020 – an objective
that will see it become the
largest airline in the world
in terms of international
passenger traffic.
Executive vp and chief
commercial officer of
Emirates, Thierry Antinori,
said at ATM that the airline
was well on its way to
achieving its goals.
However, he said Emirates
should not only continue
its growth but begin to
accelerate it. Over the last
two years it acquired 58
new aircraft, helping it gain
another 1,2 million seats per
week. “We will continue to
accelerate these figures to
20 million seats by 2020.”
He said Emirates held a
strategic advantage in having
Dubai as its home base.
“Over a third of the world’s
population lives within a
four-hour flight from Dubai
and another two-thirds are
within an eight-hour flight of
the city.”
Emirates also has an
important role to play over
the next six years in helping
turn the number of transit
visitors through Dubai into
stopovers. The airline has
a large captive audience
for which it has worked
on developing stopover
products. “Stopovers in
Dubai give Emirates a
considerable advantage
because people want to see
this city,” Thierry said.
Marriott gears up for 2020
MARRIOTT International
has three new Dubai
hotels in the pipeline,
which will open in time to
welcome visitors to Expo
2020.
The company has
signed a long-term
agreement with RDK
Tourism
Investment
LLC to take
over the
management
of the new
312-room
Renaissance
Dubai Downtown Hotel.
The hotel group also
plans to open another
two properties: Dubai
Marriott Hotel Citywalk
and Marriott Executive
Apartments Dubai City
Walk; in the new outdoor
lifestyle concept by
Meraas Holding.
Laoise Molloy, pr
manager of the JW
Marriott Marquis Hotel
Dubai, says Marriott is
well positioned to cater
for the influx of new
business in 2020. Just
15 minutes from the
Expo 2020 site, the JW
Marriott Marquis has a
convenient
location.
“There are
a number of
developments
taking place
within the
city, which
help add value to the JW
Marriott offering,” says
Laoise. “The creek is
scheduled for extension,
which will bring it past
the JW Marriott Marquis
in the next three or four
years. The Dubai Mall
and Business Bay district,
also in our near vicinity,
will also be extended.”
DUBAI has an action-packed
calendar of activities for those
visiting the city this summer.
The fun starts on June 15
and ends on September 6.
Modhesh World, the indoor
family edutainment centre,
will open at the Dubai World
Trade Centre between June
and September. It will feature
a teen lounge, children’s
entertainment area and a
dedicated heritage zone,
educating visitors on Dubai
culture.
The trade centre will also
host Dubai Sports World,
offering visitors a range of
different sporting facilities
and activities.
Ramadan, which takes place
from June 29 to July 27, sees
the city come alive with the
Dubai International Holy Quran
Award, the Ramadan Forum
and the Ramadan Tents. These
help to enlighten visitors about
Islamic traditions. At night,
visitors can join locals in tents
for the Iftar feast.
During Eid, which takes place
in August, the city hosts
music concerts and theatrical
shows and cartoon characters
provide performances
throughout the malls. In the
two weeks leading up to Eid Al
Fitr, shoppers can participate
in special promotions and
competitions.
#MyDubai
DTCM will launch its Smart
Dubai initiative in June, which
will see the launch of a new
website and social media
promotions. “Our goal is to
personalise the experience
people have in the city,” says
DTCM’s Charlie Taylor.
The campaign invites both
residents and visitors to share
their personal experience
of Dubai, with the purpose
of creating “the world’s first
autobiography of a city”.
Through documenting the
everyday experiences of
people across the city, the
initiative helps to provide the
rest of the world with a unique
perspective of Dubai that
goes beyond the traditional
tourist landmarks.
To date the campaign has
received more than 75 000
photo and video submissions
on Instagram. During the
first week after its inception,
#MyDubai received more
than 27 000 mentions on
Twitter and 198 million Twitter
impressions.
Contributions received are
curated and shared across
a number of different social
media platforms. An online
museum showcases the lives
of people in Dubai through
images, videos and stories
that have been submitted
by locals.
DTCM will launch its Smart
Dubai initiative in June, which
will see the launch of a new
website and social media
promotions. “Our goal is to
personalise the experience
people have in the city,” says
DTCM’s Charlie Taylor.
The campaign invites both
residents and visitors to share
their personal experience
of Dubai, with the purpose
of creating “the world’s first
autobiography of a city”.
Through documenting the
everyday experiences of
people across the city, the
initiative helps to provide the
rest of the world with a unique
perspective of Dubai that
goes beyond the traditional
tourist landmarks.
To date the campaign has
received more than 75 000
photo and video submissions
on Instagram. During the
first week after its inception,
#MyDubai received more
than 27 000 mentions on
Twitter and 198 million Twitter
impressions.
Contributions received are
curated and shared across
a number of different social
media platforms. An online
museum showcases the lives
of people in Dubai through
images, videos and stories
that have been submitted
by locals.
‘The world’s largest adventure park'
DUBAI is developing what it
says is the world’s largest
man-made adventure park,
featuring over 2 300sqm of
zip wires, swings and other
obstacle courses
Wire World Meydan
Adventure Park will be
located in the heart
of Meydan. It will offer
adventure-seekers the
chance to swing, balance
and traverse the course’s
zip wires and ropes across
a circuit of 70 different
obstacles set among trees,
across rocks and over poles
and posts.
The park will also feature
a bungee trampoline and
a cycle park, with tracks
for both expert riders
and beginners. “We have
something on offer for
all ages and all abilities,”
says ceo and partner of
WL Hospitality Group,
Danny Haddad. “This is a
real alternative to anything
that is currently available
in the leisure outdoor
entertainment market.”
It is the first of several
similar initiatives that WL
Hospitality has lined up for
locations across the UAE,
and which are expected
to launch over the coming
year.
