Hotelier Middle East – August 2019

DUBAI TOURISM has launched 10 digital audio tours

on WeChat mini programme, one of China’s popular

social networking site.

The audio tours were introduced to make tourism

sites in Dubai more accessible to Chinese travellers.

“China is quickly emerging as one of the fastest

growing source markets for Dubai’s tourism industry,

with the city welcoming more than 290,000 visitors

in the first three months of the year,” said Issam

Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and

Commerce Marketing (DCTCM).

“The launch of the new audio tours on our Mini

Programme ‘Dubai Mini Assistant’further supports

our ongoing ‘China Readiness’ strategy which aims to

enhance the holistic experiences of Chinese travellers

across the emirate.”

Supported by GPS technology, the tours use

audio narrations to guide visitors through Dubai,

automatically progressing from one point of interest

DCTCM launches audio tours for Chinese tourists

DAY IN THE LIFE

4:00am – I wake up, shower and get

ready for my morning shift. During the

cooler months, I get to sleep in till 6:

am but in the summer I need to be at the

stable by sunrise. Just a cup of coffee,

and I march onwards to the stable.

4:30am – As we live on-site, I’m at

the stable by 4:30am, to open up the

enclosure and let the horses wake up

and walk around for a bit. Soon I bring

out the sprinkler to rinse them. I usually

rinse them every alternate day but since

the summer has been harsh, water

helps them stay cool. This process is

time consuming as there are 14 horses

at the stable.

5:30am – The horses reach the area

where hay and water has been set-up for

consumption. I prep this area before let-

ting them loose but I only feed them once

they are done with their washing routine.

6:00am – During the summer, guests

can only indulge in equestrian experi-

ences during morning hours. It’s also one

of the most requested activity by guests

at Al Maha. Based on the guest’s skills

and experience, I suggest an equivalent

horse to ensure a pleasant experience.

We have ex-race and polo horses that are

very different in nature and tempera-

ment, hence for the safety of guests I

often accompany them on the ride.

8:00 am – I get to our associates’

canteen for a quick breakfast before

heading to my office.

8:30am – Once at my desk, I respond

to emails, update horse training routines

as well as schedule health and fitness

assessments for each of our 14 horses.

10:00 am – Because my day starts

relatively early, I am allowed a downtime

at this junction of the day but for most

days, I stay in the office browsing

through the internet and catching-up with

associates to gauge how busy the resort

is, with respect to the following day’s

outdoor activities.

12:30 pm – I head back to the stable to

replenish the hay and water supply for the

horses and check up on them.

2:00pm – I head back to the resort

for lunch.

4:00pm – Most guests are fascinated

with our collection of horses and like to

visit the stable in the afternoon, some

even request to meet them and strike a

pose for a picture. So I usually return to

the stable around this time.

4:30 pm - I lay out the last round of

hay and water for their dinner.

6:00 pm – Around sunset, I take

them back to their stable and the lights

are out by 6:30pm.

6:30 pm – I make a final round of the

resort to clock out and also to check the

status of our equestrian bookings so I can

prep accordingly for the following day.

7:00 pm – Most of my evenings are

spent watching a movie at the associates

lounge or working out at the gym, if I

feel inspired, I also cook a quick meal for

myself sometimes.

9:00 pm – Firmly tucked in my bed to

get a good six hours of sleep before the

next day.

AS SAUDI ARABIA

GEARS UP FOR A

BUSY HAJ SEASON,

HOTELIER MIDDLE

EAST DISSECTS THE

NUMBERS *

Story in numbers

926,

pilgrims arrived

in the country

91,

increase in num-

ber of pilgrims

in comparison to

last year

35,

pilgrims arrived

by land

10,

pilgrims arrived

by sea

Chinese visitors can choose from 10 tours covering several districts across Dubai

to the next in real-time, depending on the user’s

location. The pre-recorded audio will be available

in Mandarin, while each tour will also be available

in text form and accompanied by a map to help

with navigation.

Chinese visitors can choose from 10 tours

covering several districts across Dubai, including Al

Fahidi, Bur Dubai and Deira. Each of the self-guided

tours are focused on a dedicated theme, primarily

highlighting Dubai’s culture, art and heritage

through a unique perspective.

TIMOTHY PERRING, HORSE GROOMER, AL MAHA, A LUXURY COLLECTION DESERT RESORT & SPA

Six mega water

projects launched

to serve pilgrims in

Makkah

200,

smart cards

launched by the

Saudi government

to store the

pilgrim’s personal

information,

health status and

haj tour details

*Statistics as of 26 July 2019

HOTELIER MIDDLE EAST | August 2019 | Volume 18 Issue 08 7

BULLETIN