Dubai's Tourism Industry featured in textbook published by Cambridge University Press

A case study of Dubai’s tourism industry and the phenomenal rise of the destination form the basis of the core module in a textbook published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. The book was officially released by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (DTCM) Director Operations and Marketing, Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb on the Dubai stand at World Travel Market in London yesterday (November 12th).

Speaking to the media in London, Mr. bin Hareb said, “The fact that we have been featured in this textbook confirms that we are on target with our marketing strategies and thus merit this honor of being featured in a book and the author has presented our destination as the most appropriate example to illustrate the factors that influence tourism development.”

Titled Career Award – Travel and Tourism: Standard Level, the book is one of the first textbooks to address the study of travel and tourism from an international perspective. 

Co-authored by Ann Rowe, John D. Smith and Fiona Borein, the book has been written as a course companion for an international qualification and thus seeks to provide a framework for the acquisition of the knowledge and understanding of the issues related to working in travel and tourism. 

The three authors have extensive experience teaching and examining travel and tourism related courses and are involved with the training of tutors and teachers who deliver courses and with the production of tutor packs and specimen materials to support the course.

“An entire generation of students of travel and tourism studying the Standard Level Core Module syllabus currently used by centres across the Caribbean, South Africa, the Middle East, Spain, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and China will be using this book and learn from Dubai,” remarked Mr. bin Hareb.

The book has been designed to help international students develop a critical awareness of the physical, social and economic environments in which travel and tourism takes place.

Other destinations featured in the book include the Caribbean island Dominicia, Switzerland, Tunisia, Hong Kong and the UK.

Co-author John D. Smith who was present at the releasing ceremony said, “Most countries promote tourism separately from trade and investment, however, in Dubai’s case it was quite logical to combine both aspects and the worldwide activities of the DTCM are credited among the key elements in Dubai’s current tourism boom.”

He added that the DTCM was the leading exponent of destination marketing in the Middle East and has become a model to be emulated by other destinations.

Mr. Smith commented favorably on Dubai’s emphasis on quality infrastructure, quality facilities and quality service – the cornerstones on which the overall tourism product has been built. 

The book forms part of the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) Syllabus and is endorsed by the CIE thus ensuring that it is comprehensive in its coverage of the syllabus and provides students with essential and up-to-date information on the structure of the international travel and tourism industry, marketing and promotion, customer care and working procedures, tourism products and ancillary services.

The release of the book on the Dubai stand generated a lot inquiries and positive comments from the travel trade, keen interest from the media and an overall sense of achievement for the large Dubai delegation present at the event.