Dubai Tourism and Emirates thrilled several hundred Australian travel agents on the Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil with a sizzling welcome reception to kick-start 5-days of experiences around Dubai.
The Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil covered culture and heritage in the old and new Dubai and the lucky participants got to experience amazing shopping, thrilling adventures and a trip to the desert.
Day 1
The massive famil, now in its fourth year, kicked off with a Brazilian Welcome at the Fairmont The Palm where participants sampled live cooking stations featuring spicy South American flavours – plus a stunning finishing touch of Samba Sorbet made with liquid nitrogen.
While watching the spectacular sunset across the Palm, the agents also enjoyed several Brazilian Samba performances.
Dubai offers a diverse culinary experience with over 200 nationalities residing in the destination and over 5400 incredible gastronomy experiences to choose from. Aussie agents sampled some of Dubai’s fabulous dining options during the week, so they can showcase the destination’s dynamic restaurant scene to clients who travel for food based experiences.
Other inclusions in their itinerary included opportunities to explore Dubai’s unique culinary and cultural diversity, visit the latest attractions and explore both the old and new experiences on offer.
Day 2
After its sizzling welcome reception at Fairmont The Palm, the several hundred Australian travel agents went straight into product education on the second day of the Ultimate Emirates Famil, with a day of workshops, presentations, partner promotions, destination experiences and hosted dinners.
Dubai Tourism and Emirates hosted 300 Australian travel agents on the Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil and day two of this five-day event started with presentations and speeches from Julie King – Director Asia Pacific, Dubai Tourism; Shahab Abdulla Shayan – Regional Manager Asia Pacific, Dubai Tourism; Graeme Lunn, Director of Business Development and Strategic Accounts, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts; Russell Dillon, Director of Sales Leisure – Address Hotels and Resorts; and Kyp Charalambous – Director, International Leisure Sales, Atlantis, The Palm Dubai.
Julie King – Director Asia Pacific, Dubai Tourism presenting.
Hosted at the Dusit Thani hotel, the agents were given an overview on the new developments within the destination, as well as what the destination has to look forward to in 2016, before the chance to meet with leading attractions, hotels and suppliers. Highlights included a presentation and video on the Dubai Parks and IMG Worlds of Adventure developments, with 4 world-class theme parks all set to open by the end of 2016, opening the market for even more families seeking an Arabian stopover en-route to Europe.
Ski Dubai workshop
With IMG Worlds of Adventure, the largest indoor theme park in the world set to open early 2016, the attraction is expected to be a major drawcard for families looking for indoor and outdoor kid-friendly activity at affordable rates in year-round sunshine.
In addition, agents learnt about the Dubai Parks and Resorts development taking shape at Jebel Ali, which will comprise three themeparks: motiongate™ Dubai, Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, and LEGOLAND® Dubai. The development will also feature Riverland – a grand entrance plaza and Lapita, a family themed hotel, and will open in the third quarter of 2016.
After lunch, the agents then headed to Dubai Marina to enjoy the Dubai Ferry, before enjoying hosted dinners at their respective hotels across the city.
Day 3
Three days into the Emirates and Dubai Tourism Ultimate Famil, the 300-strong group of agents took part in a day of activities and games around Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Souk al Bahar, Dubai Fountain and downtown Dubai, for the chance to win fantastic prizes.
The ‘MyDubai Day’, involved breaking into teams of six to find and complete clues around Dubai Mall and Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates, navigating their way around Dubai using an iPad filled with tips and instructions as well as jumping aboard the Dubai Trolley!
The task required them to use photos to capture their activity, and subsequently the teams were judged on creativity with the winning team of agents from Victoria all winning a return flight on Emirates, 4-nights luxury accommodation, desert safari experience, helicopter ride and tickets to IMG Worlds of Adventure plus much more.
Runners up prizes were also awarded to joint second and third teams. You can view even more images on Instagram and twitter using #ultimatedubaifamil and #mydubai.
Day 4
While Dubai is a relatively new city, there is a lot of traditional culture that exists within the Emirate which visitors aren’t always aware of.
On day 4 of the megafamil, the 300-strong Australian agents started their day with a traditional Emirati breakfast at the Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding, whereby they learnt all about the traditions of the Middle East, local dress code and cultures.
An eye-opening experience for many, the agents then enjoyed a tour of the old town, Al Fahidi District with its preserved buildings that now house museums, art galleries and cafes.
After an educational morning, the agents then experienced the ‘new’ Dubai with a visit to At The Top, the highest observation deck in the world, in the tallest building in the world before heading for adventure at the Aquaventure at Atlantis.
With adrenaline pumping record-breaking rides and slides, and the Lost Chambers aquarium the agents were able to experience firsthand this affordable family-friendly activity in between soaking up the sun on the white beaches of The Palm.
After free time for shopping at one of Dubai’s many malls, the agents were then treated to a glitzy gala dinner hosted in the stunning Asateer Tent at Atlantis The Palm.
A Platinum sponsor of this year’s megafamil, Atlantis hosted the black-tie ‘in dustry party of the year’ with a sit-down dinner that showcased the resort’s popular eateries. The ‘Taste of Atlantis’ dining experience meant agents enjoyed mouth-watering dishes from restaurants including Nobu and the award-winning Yuan.
After dinner the agents danced the night away to a fantastic DJ while watching a slideshow of all the best MyDubai day photos.
Day 5
The five-day megafamil culminated in a visit to the five fun-packed days in Dubai, experiencing family-friendly activities and attractions, culinary delights and traditional eateries, historical and cultural city tours, the buzz of the old town souks, endless shopping at the modern malls, watermarks and more, it seemed only fitting to end the famil on a high in the desert.
So on their final day of the Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil, the 300 agents enjoyed a classic desert safari experience with a difference.
Hosted by Arabian Adventures, the agents were driven by 4×4 across the dunes to enjoy a private falconry display before watching the sunset over the dunes. They then headed to their exclusive Bedouin style camp, where they were met by Emirates and Dubai Tourism staff in traditional Arabian dress, alongside Emirati Ayallah dancers.
After enjoying a three-course Arabian dinner, they wound down their trip with some belly dancing, Tanoura dancing, shisha smoking and henna painting, before heading back to the city for bed!
“The 2015 Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil was a huge success. Each year we bring up to 300 Australian and New Zealand agents to Dubai in partnership with Emirates to showcase the diversity of Dubai and allow the agents to experience first-hand the variety of all that Dubai has to offer and why it is much more than a two day stop-over destination. With so many existing attractions and experiences as well as new developments opening from 2016, Dubai can offer a completely new holiday experience on each visit and the agents have all had fun experiencing it. We are already planning how to make next year’s Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil even bigger and better,”
Julie King, Director – Asia Pacific, Dubai Tourism
To view more images from this year’s Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil, view the hashtag #ultimatedubaifamil on Twitter and Instagram.