Australian Travel Agents impressed with Dubai

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) are assisting the visit of 10 Australian travel agents who lauded the emirate's recent and upcoming developments and achievements. The travel agents are  in Dubai to study the tourist places and activities in the emirate. A large number of their Australian clients residing in Europe fly Emirate Airlines. The travel agents team is also looking for a stop over in Dubai and even to add the emirate as one of their holiday destinations.

DTCM Manager Missions, Hamad bin Mejren said that the main purpose of the group in visiting Dubai was to gather information about the facilities and activities provided by the emirate to become an all purpose destination. "We have always marketed the emirate as an all-purpose destination and that is what motivated the group to know more about Dubai," said Mr. bin Mejren.

He noted that the visitors were amazed with the rate Dubai has developed and progressed after knowing the history of the emirate. Our state-of-the-art infrastructure, ongoing developments and future projects and activities, indicate our determination and efforts to achieve excellence in every field and to be recognised as a perfect destination," said Mr. bin Mejren.

Mr. bin Mejren stated that Dubai has been a major holiday attraction for Australian visitors who come to the emirate in large number every year. The increase in the number of visitors from Australia is a clear indication that the emirate occupies a premium place in their itinerary. "The number of Australian hotel and hotel apartment guest in the first quarter of 2003 was 13,297. This registered an appreciable increase of 8.78 per cent as their number was 12,224 in the corresponding quarter last year".

DTCM Officer Missions, Talal Al Suwaidi who assisted the group said that the guests were provided detailed information and were taken for a city tour, which gave them an insight into the emirate's tourism infrastructure.

Lesley Hoffman, representative of Sun Island Tours, Australia who organized the group's visit to Dubai had all praise for the hospitality and friendly atmosphere in the emirate. She held that the city tour arranged by the DTCM served as an excellent platform for them to get an exact picture of Dubai and its fabulous places, which should receive an overwhelming response in the Australian market "We visited Dubai hotels, beach properties, desert safaris, Hatta and historical sites, which gave us a good and comprehensive idea about the tourism facilities available in the emirate".