The MICE sector is an important part of the Dubai Tourism Vision 2020. Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, ordered the creation of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2020, which includes the Dubai Tourism Vision 2020, in order to increase the city’s competitiveness on a global scale.
“The performance of Dubai’s tourism sector in the first half of the year, catalysed by the Dubai Tourism Vision for 2020, underlines the city’s global status as a business and leisure hub,” says HE Mohammed Alabbar, Chairman of the Dubai Events Council. “The positivity and dynamism of the city, backed by a strong array of leisure assets, makes Dubai a compelling destination for travellers.
“At the current pace, Dubai is not only set to achieve the 20m tourist milestone sooner than projected, but the growth in tourism also energises key sectors including retail, aviation and hospitality, thus driving the overall economy.”
Speaking at the Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate 2013 recently, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s Director General HE Helal Saeed Al Marri, said the tourism industry can expect a great deal more profit to come from MICE business in the future. He believes that with the right collaboration, Dubai could see itself as a prime location for conventions.
“I see this sector as something that requires the upmost collaboration and will be where a lot of our profits will come from in the future,” he added. “Dubai will establish itself much more as an annual hub. When you look at more established markets like Copenhagen or Paris, you will see that the majority of their business is annual events which range between 200 and 4,000 delegates.”
The Senior Vice-President for Venues at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), Ahmed Alkhaja, said ‘Destination Dubai’ is on the rise. “From the leisure traveller through to the continued growth of the country’s MICE industry, Dubai’s tourism industry is booming.”
With 1.85m visitors, 2012 was DWTC’s busiest year and 2013 is shaping up to attract an even higher number. Earlier in the year Cirque du Soleil, Gulfood, Dubai Music Week and SIBOS were held successfully with GITEX Technology Week to be held in October and the Dubai International Motor Show in November.
In the near future DWTC is set to expand with the re-launch of the Dubai Trade Centre District, a 146,000sqm site between the current Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and Emirates Towers.
“We are also in the process of finalising plans to build the city’s largest indoor live events arena and extend the existing convention centre to host larger events and conferences,” Ahmed Alkhaja added. “This new venue will be connected to the existing venue and meet the growing demand for events and conference space in Dubai. It will be operational in 2015.”
Recent event wins for the Dubai Convention and Events Bureau include the Asia Pacific Dental Congress 2014, which will attract 3,000 international delegates from 45 countries.
Other wins include the Middle East Wounds and Scar Meeting 2014, which brings the Scar Club, the International Workshop of Wound Technology and its Academy of Wound Technology and the World Union of Wound Healing Societies, together for the first time.
It looks as though this 2020 vision is set to be realised if everything falls into place.
This was first published in issue 73 of CMW. Any comments? Email cmw@mashmedia.net
