Arabian Business – May 06, 2018

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ATM DEBRIEF FEATURE

fter ATM, what are your

thoughts on the sector?

Ahmed Soliman: We’ve noticed

a number of key changes with

the way Dubai is marketing itself to attract

visitors. There was the recent blockchain

announcement to promote cashless trans-

actions and make it easier for people to

book holidays. [The Dubai Department

of Tourism and Commerce Marketing

(DTCM) last month launched Tourism

2.0, a blockchain-enabled marketplace that

connects potential buyers directly to hotels

and tour operators.] The DTCM also wants

to cater to the more budget conscious trav-

eller, be it Zabeel House by Jumeirah or

Emaar’s Rove Hotels, which both provide

a great experience but within a budget. And

it has also run social media campaigns that

show how visitors can experience Dubai

within a budget.

Mohamed Saeed: We’re very confident

about what we saw; we definitely see

growth up to 2020. And given the world is

going to be here for the 10 months during

Expo 2020 that will definitely also help.

We also believe that people are going to be

almost living here for that period, as well

as families, friends and curious travellers.

So we’re definitely going to see a boost of

population coming into the UAE and we

hope that will sustain the numbers for

many years after as well. Overall, Dubai is

ready – as seen by the rapid growth that is

happening now.

Mohamed, how many tourists are

cruises now bringing in to the UAE?

MS: There are around five cruise lines

operating in the region and the UAE has

the GGC’s only home port destinations

for cruise ships, Port Khalifa in Abu Dhabi

and Port Rashid here in Dubai. The clos-

est alternative is Aqaba in Jordan and that

is just for refuelling. The UAE started that

momentum much earlier than anybody

else and has reached almost a million

passengers – 750,000 to Dubai and almost

250,000 in Abu Dhabi. That number

keeps growing as bigger ships dock here

that can carry 2,500 passengers.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 includes

big plans for its non-religious

tourism. Is that something that you

are seriously looking at already?

MS: The idea is to create the Red Sea

as a destination. It’s a hidden gem and

A

AARON MCGRATH

General manager, Six Senses Zighy Bay

MOHAMED SAEED

General manager, Middle East Market,

Royal Caribbean Arabia, Celebrity Cruises

and Azamara Cruises

AHMED SOLIMAN

CEO of Travel Connections Arabia

As the Arabian Travel

Market wrapped up for

another year, we asked

three experts where the

industry is heading, and

whether the region can

deliver on its ambitious

growth targets

By Jeremy Lawrence

The panel