DUBAI — Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) will use this year's Arabian Travel Market (ATM) on May 4-7 at Dubai World Trade Centre to showcase why Dubai's breadth of offer and its appeal to a diverse range of audiences continues to drive the growth of tourism numbers to the Emirate. The Dubai stand will portray a multitude of different ways to experience the city through a series of content and on-stand activations. Present on the stand will also be more than 100 of the destination's tourism industry stakeholders, from governmental partners to hotels, tour operators and destination companies. Particular focuses will include the cultural heritage of Dubai, family attractions and the city's year-round calendar of events. During the exhibition, Dubai Tourism will also be releasing its inaugural Annual Visitor Report, a collation of key tourism metrics, trends and insights that provide background into why Dubai continues to rise through the ranks of most-visited global tourism destinations. Visitors to the stand, who will include among them the most influential decision makers in the global tourism industry, will be able to experience the extraordinary views of Dubai offered by Dubai 360, the online interactive tour of the city launched in January this year. Immersive ocular technology will enable visitors to virtually discover Dubai from above, and then dive into the city via hundreds of pieces of panoramic video and photo content. Providing a completely different perspective, 12 mini-documentaries following the journeys of 12 of the world's most popular instagrammers experiencing tailor-made itineraries of Dubai will be on show. Titled ‘MyDubaiTrip', the project was a partnership between Dubai Tourism and social-travel experts Peeta Planet, and saw the instagrammers visit Dubai in late 2014 to experience itineraries curated by 12 of the Emirate's most popular social-media storytellers. With a view to showcasing the cultural aspects of Dubai, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) will have a dedicated area on the stand, where SMCCU representatives will give various presentations on all aspects of Emirati culture throughout the four days of the show, including raising awareness of the unique attraction of Ramadan as a period to visit Dubai. Meanwhile, a special gastronomy area will showcase homegrown dining concepts as well as authentic Emirati and fusion restaurants, complete with daily food tastings for guests. With events one of this year's key focuses, Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of DTCM, will be on the stand to promote Dubai's world-class festivals calendar, including its upcoming summer program that involves Ramadan in Dubai, Modhesh World, Eid in Dubai and the much-awaited Dubai Summer Surprises. Dubai Calendar will be showcasing the year-round calendar of events, continual enhancements to which have led to Dubai being crowned the winner of the Top World Festival and Events City Award by the International Festivals and Events Association. During the week, Dubai Tourism will host more than 200 industry buyers from 30 countries around the world, all of whom have never visited Dubai before, and many of whom are from emerging markets that present significant potential growth. Prior to ATM, the buyers will experience a three-day itinerary that will showcase different facets of Dubai, from activities in the desert and city, to cultural experiences; a tour of Dubai Marina on the Dubai tram and a tour of the Dubai coastline, onboard both a Dubai Ferry - in partnership with the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) – and a 65ft yacht. The buyers will also participate in a number of hotel inspections, including the newly opened Taj Dubai, located in Downtown. Commenting on Dubai's participation in ATM, Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Arabian Travel Market brings the global travel industry to Dubai, thus providing the perfect opportunity to promote our destination offering and showcase why the emirate continues to rise through the ranks of the most visited cities in the world. Month on month, the offering continues to be enhanced with new hotels, attractions, restaurants and experiences, and a vital part of our role is to demonstrate that there are many different ways to experience Dubai, and many different audiences that can create their perfect holiday or business trip here.” Moreover, he said “our focus this year is on using different forms of content to showcase Dubai through different perspectives, whether that's the breath-taking views offered by Dubai 360; talks about Emirati heritage and the culture of the region from SMCCU; food from the kitchens of our homegrown restaurants; or the experiences of the city as shared by its residents and visitors through His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's #MyDubai initiative.” The three-storey Dubai stand will host 100 co-participants including government bodies such as Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai Police, Dubai Culture, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai (DNRD), and Dubai Health Authority (DHA), as well as travel industry partners such as hoteliers, tour operators and destination management companies. The 2015 Dubai Pocket Guide will also be launched during ATM. This handy, user-friendly consumer guide offers a wealth of information, tips and advice, and is an invaluable resource for visitors both at the initial holiday planning stage and once on the ground in Dubai. A dedicated Theatre Room, meanwhile, will be used for various demonstrations and presentations about Dubai's tourism offerings. The Dubai Green Tourism Awards 2015, taking place at 11 a.m. on May 6 6 in DWTC's Al Multaqua Ballroom will honor and recognize the hospitality industry's contributions to a sustainable environment. The prestigious event will see DTCM award tourism businesses that have made especially significant efforts in the sustainable and green tourism sector. There will also be a panel discussion on the Future of Eco-Tourism in Dubai. — SG
