Arabian Business – May 06, 2018

arabianbusiness.com 45

ATM DEBRIEF FEATURE

accommodation. All this makes it more
and more likely that guests will return.
So it’s not about attracting 20 million
new arrivals by 2020; you could easily get
there if the 15.8 million visitors just come
again. So where Dubai has excelled is by
becoming an attraction that can be visited
on multiple occasions in one single year.
And from a hotel perspective, the cost of
acquisition of a new guest is much larger
than the cost of retention.

Is there anything that needs to be
done to take tourism to the next level?
MS: The government has been excellent
in helping the cruise industry. We
have our own special multiple exit and
re-entry cruise visa for the UAE and
almost no restrictions on nationalities.
The government has really taken the
responsibility for security and screening
global inbound passengers. We have been
prioritised which has been a great blessing
for our industry.

AS: The overall challenge now is regional

competition. Egypt has become more

stable. It has a lot of attractions and is

very cost effective. Turkey also welcomes

Middle Easterners with open arms. The

more stable Lebanon becomes, the

more competition it offers. And then you

have Saudi’s Vision 2030 which hopes to

promote Saudis travelling within their

own nation. So we’re talking about 1.6

million people who at present visit Dubai.

Are there any untapped markets

waiting to be exploited?

AS: Dubai has become very welcoming

and has promoted itself across the world.

“It’s not about

attracting 20 million

new arrivals by 2020;

you could easily

get there if the 15.8

million visitors just

come again”

$56bn

Amount expected to be spent

on tourism infastructure in the

GCC by 2022

u Dubai attracted 4.7 million visitors in Q1 2018

u Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque attracted 5.8 million visitors in 2017

If you say “Dubai” most people will say,

“Wow, I can’t wait to visit”. In terms of

newer markets, just consider how the

malls here all celebrate Chinese New Year

and other key events in their calendar.

All this helps create the right ambience.

Aaron, do you think there is enough

business to sustain the luxury end of

the market?

AM: I think there’s certainly going to be

business going around given the aggres-

sive growth targets. The key here is going

to be able to separate yourself from the

competition, and that’s going to be where

the battles are won and lost on the luxury

occupancy and rates front. Innovation

is the key to staying ahead of the curve,

and being able to read what the market

is looking for. If you’re trying to catch up

then you’ve already been left behind. a

To hear the podcast of this interview visit:

soundcloud/arabianbusiness