NEWS / REGIONAL
Dubai to host ASTA destination expo Event to put the emirate under the global tourism spotlight
Dubai will host the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) International Destination Expo in April next year. The event, which is expected to attract between 500 and 700 North American-based travel agents, will be carried out as part of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (DTCM) initiative to promote the emirate to a wider market. “Cities around the world vie
for this opportunity to host an event that is recognised through- out the global tourism and convention industries. We can expect to see continued growth of North American tourism traf- fic in 2013 and beyond as ASTA agents serve as new ambassa- dors for Dubai,” says Hamad Bin Mejren, Executive Director of Business Tourism at DTCM. Last year, Dubai International Airport witnessed an increase of more than 16 percent in
passenger traffic on routes linking the emirate to North American destinations. The upward trend can be attrib- uted to Dubai-based Emirates Airline’s rapid expansion in North America. Currently, Emirates Airline
serves seven US cities, namely: Seattle, San Francisco; Los Angeles; Dallas; Houston; New York; and Washington DC. Outside the US, the carrier
operates flights to Canada (Toronto), Brazil (Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) and Argentina (Buenos Aires). Bin Mejren believes the ASTA
expo will bring both short- and long-term benefits to Dubai due to increased hospitality spend- ing and a wider scope of promo- tion for the destination. Cheryl Ahearn, ASTA Vice
President, adds: “Dubai is an amazing, growing destination
Meetings business up for Dusit Thani
Corporate meetings have been upbeat for Dusit Thani Dubai in the first six months of this year, recording an increase of 15 percent when compared to the same period in 2011. Donna Atanacio, Senior Sales
Manager for MICE at Dusit Thani Dubai, says the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhi- bitions sector remains a vital component of their operation, representing around 20 percent of the business. “The GCC has always been the most important source market for our meetings space. In the past few months we have seen this market become even more robust with enquiries growing by almost 20 percent,” she says. Among the events that the
hotel has hosted this year included the Annual World
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that is expected to host more than 15 million interna- tional tourists annually by 2015. We want to ensure our global travel agent members are fully equipped to fulfill their custom- er’s expectations on Dubai with hands-on and on-the- ground experience.” The expo also proves timely
as travel agents in the US and the rest of the region receive a growing number of enquiries about Dubai as a destination, according to DTCM’s promo- tions office in North America. “With the US now being
the fourth most productive source market for travel to Dubai, ASTA agents are eager to become much more well- informed and share the benefits of creating new tourism traffic for the emirate,” says Jessica Herring, DTCM’s Manager of Promotions for North America.
Al Forsan to court sports fans
Takaful Conference, which was attended by 400 industry leaders in the field of Islamic insurance. Paragon Events also held its inaugural pharmaceutical con- ference in the hotel, attracting 200 attendees. Because of its proximity to the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dusit Thani Dubai has also worked closely with a number of its trade partners in accommo- dating smaller groups who are
attending conferences at the centre. Corporate trav- ellers from the US and South America are also growing in importance for Dusit Thani Dubai. Atanacio also points out the growth in corporate book- ing enquiries from the European market, a trend that she attrib- utes to the Dubai Convention Bureau’s recent efforts to attract European businesses and part- ners to the emirate.
The UAE’s growing appeal as a sports destination bodes well for Abu Dhabi-based Al Forsan International Sports Resort as it taps corporate groups looking to hold incentive or team building activities. Atef Nagib, Managing Director at Al Forsan, says the company took part at the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) in a bid to showcase the resort’s dedicated meetings facilities including conference centre, outdoor and indoor func- tion spaces, in addition to its extensive leisure offerings. “The resort holds huge poten- tial as an exclusive sports and team building destination” he says.
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