Dubai

Dubai - A star in the EastTourism Destination Development

Strategic Vision"To make Dubai a globally leading Arab City with services being a key contributor to its growth."

Source: http://worldlywise.pbworks.com/w/page/15409215/Unit%201%20Section%20D%20-%20Coastal%20areas%20are%20a%20valuable%20resource

From a sleepy fishing village to the 4th most visited country in the world

Milestones in Dubai's history• 1978: Dubai World Trade Centre• 1985: Launch Emirates Airlines• 1999: Opening of Burj al Arab (7*) --> shift from regional to international tourism• 2007: Dubai Mall Opening (biggest shopping mall worldwide)• 2010: Burj Khalifa --> significant for development of downtown Dubai• 2012: 10 mio visitors reached• 2014:#MyDubai initiative on Instagram• 4th most visited city in the world

Key Facts•one of the fastest developing countries in the world•rapid development facilitated by Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed al Maktoum and his visionary leadership•strategic geographical location: overnight transformation into economic beacon•1970: opening of Jebel Ali Port•1971: formation of UAE -> synergistic pooling of resources

Foreign Direct Investment• attraction of FDI through incentives• no taxes• free zones• revised property ownership laws

Retail• 50% contribution to GDP• Dubai No 2 in retail brand representation globally (No 1: London)• Positioning as home of luxury brands• Dubai Shopping Festival, Ramadan Initiatives, Summer Surprise

• Strong leadership endowed with great vision: ruling Maktoum family• Encouragement of trade, business, shopping, lifestyle, tourism• Completion of projects at rapid pace ( ex: city metro)

• Perceived as an area of political instability• Small percentage of locals-> 82% of population are expatriates

What about the future?• EXPO 2020 - Expected growth generator?• Political instability in the area - a major drawback?• Shift of target market towards middle class• Sustainable development? - Adjusting way of thinking to greener strategies and towards a more sustainable behaviour

Current destination focus

• Lifestyle, business conferencing, sports, shopping, individual entertainment, medical tourism• Emiratisation: balance demographics and responsibility; reinforce culture and knowledge management through quota system for locals• Embracing latest technology• Benchmarking against USA, Hong Kong, Singapore• Building largest airport in the world in Jebel Ali (economic free zone)• Dubai Urban Development Framework•Diverse portfolio of products• Facilitation of integration between government and private stakeholdersBranding: over 400 international brands, world renown brands like Burj al Arab, Dubai Marina, Dubai Mall

Tourism• Open skies policy• Emirates Airlines as brand ambassador for Dubai• innovative products and highest standard of service

Examples from the Study Tour• Taxi drivers as tourguides providing an excellent first impression of the destination to the tourists• Concierge and hotel staff training making guests feel welcome and at ease during their stay• Investing into a major market of Growth: China--> mandarin-speaking tourguides to serve a segment growing at 26% between 2014 and 2015