Far East Media feast on Dubai

Dubai’s attractions as a tourist destination will be the focus of a series of travel features in two influential publications across Hong Kong following the hosting of a media team who are currently in Dubai (12th to 18th August) at the invitation of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

The combined circulation of the two publications is over 300,000 readers. The publications that will feature Dubai include Hui Gai Guide - an entertainment and shopping guide that is distributed at train stations and Pepper - a woman’s magazine that is popular among career women in the Far East.

“Hosting inward missions for prominent media and giving them a first hand feel of the destination is one of the most effective techniques for promoting a destination and has proved to be very beneficial in reaching out to key audience,” said DTCM Manager Missions, Hamad bin Mejren.

He noted that well-planned familiarization tours of Dubai have played a significant role in creating increased awareness of the emirate as a destination and in turn spurred the growth of the tourism business.

Mr. Mejren added that hotel establishment guests to Dubai from the Far East Asia had grown by 7.09% in 2001 to reach 187,438. 

A team of four led by Joan Chow, Chief Editor of In Express Sisters Group of publications, representing Pepper and Hui Gai Guide are currently gathering information for a series of articles on the emirate.

Ms. Chow was visibly impressed with Dubai and remarked, “Dubai symbolizes luxury and opulence and is truly beautiful and women in Hong Kong love luxury.”

The journalists received a comprehensive presentation on the destination and its attractions including a brief on the department’s role in promoting Dubai worldwide as well as recent initiatives undertaken by the DTCM to promote the destination in the Far East.

Mr. Mejren noted that through familiarization trips a journalist is able to witness how the various components of a destination fit together to form a complete package.