Dubai Tourism proved it is still Australia’s ‘Best Tourism Office – International’ by taking out the title for the second time at this year’s NTIA Awards.
Speaking to KarryOn, the tourism board’s Director for Asia Pacific, Julie King, said winning the award for the second time in three years was ‘thrilling’ and reward for the team’s strive to continuously raise the bar.
Over the last year, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing has doubled its team in the market to provide further resources across the country.
King explained that this also allowed for further penetration and strengthening of the board’s relationship with agents and trade.
“Education and experiencing the destination firsthand continues to be a key focus and the success of The Ultimate Emirates Dubai Famil, now in its 4th year is a result of our commitment to this.”
Julie King, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing Director – Asia Pacific
What does winning this award mean for Dubai Tourism?
It was a great honour to receive this endorsement and recognition from the Industry. This award reinforces that we are positioning Dubai well in the market and that we are making an impact.
We are not yet as large a player as many of the more established destinations for Australian’s but we have a very aggressive strategy over the next five years.
We plan to inspire the consumer to visit Dubai as both a stopover and as a destination during our winter months and you will see this in a lot of our new initiatives.
It has been a challenging year for us with the introduction of a new team, doubling the size of our previous structure and the team have all worked so hard to reach where we are now so this award is such a good recognition of this.
More importantly, we never become complacent or rest on our laurels.
We are always looking for what we can be doing better and driving creative ideas to push those boundaries.
What are some travellers trends coming through for Dubai?
We are definitely seeing an increase in girls groups visiting Dubai, which has been a positive result from the introduction of the Girls Guide to Dubai last year and families staying five days and more in resorts.
Perceptions are gradually changing but continue to be a big focus for us.
What’s coming up for Dubai tourism wise?
Coming in 2016 is Dubai’s Bollywood Park.
Dubai never stops evolving as a destination, which is the reason consumers, need to continually visit as it offers a new experience each time.
2016 is a big year for the city with four new theme parks opening, including the world’s first Bollywood Park.
IMG World of Adventures opens in January next year, with Legoland, Bollywood Park and MotionGate all opening in quarter three of 2016.
In addition, Dubai’s Opera House will open to bring with it a range of performances from opera to ballet to theatre.
The Opera District will be centrally located in downtown Dubai housing boutique hotels, a museum and art galleries.
All of these new attractions will further strengthen Dubai’s offerings for families and groups; drive longer stays and will complement the range of other new hotels that are opening.
Do you have any tips to help agents sell Dubai?
Dubai has so much to offer and there really is something for everyone, so before booking the customer’s accommodation, find out their interest and this will help with selecting the ideal location for them to make the most out of their stay.
Dubai is a larger city than most people think and whether you want lazy beach days, city buzz or cultural and culinary experience there are different hotels/locations for different experiences.
We now have a Dubai microsite on the AFTA website as part of a partnership we have with the industry organisation.
This has useful information and downloadable factsheets, videos along with details of our online Dubai Expert program and how to contact your Dubai Tourism Regional Sales manager for your area, should you want to schedule some one-to-one training or enrol for one of the many workshops.
What are the must see’s and do’s right now in Dubai?
Afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab is a must.
Culinary experiences is definitely a must-do with new world-class restaurants opening every year in Dubai, so whether it is an off-the-beaten-track food tour with Frying Pan Adventures, a traditional breakfast at the Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding or afternoon tea with a view in Burj Al Arab, there is a lot of flavour in Dubai.
For adventure seekers, sky-diving over the palm, dune driving in the desert and taking a balloon ride at sunrise are must-do experiences.
My personal favourite though is to indulge in a relaxing traditional hammam spa experience followed by one of the many amazing all you can eat and drink Friday Brunches which are a culinary adventure with amazing entertainment.
