September 24, 2014: Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) last week led delegations of Dubais tourism industry on overseas trade missions to promote Dubais destination offering in two of its key source markets India and Russia. The delegations participated in a roadshow in India from 16 19 September and at Otdykh Leisure Moscow 2014 from 15 20 September.

Organizing roadshows and participating in events in these countries further highlight DTCMs commitment to positioning Dubai at the top of the minds of members of the travel trade in both markets, resulting in more visitors to the Emirate.

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented: India and Russia are among the five top source markets globally for visitor traffic into Dubai. Our aim is to raise awareness about Dubai as a luxury as well as value-for-money destination, and communicate the emirates variety of family, leisure and entertainment offerings. These events and platforms allow us to connect not only with the travel trade but also with our key media contacts in countries of high importance to us.

India roadshow, 15-20 September 2014
DTCM led a delegation of representatives from the Emirates tourism industry on a B2B roadshow of five key metro cities across India, with the aim of further increasing the number of visitors to Dubai from its second biggest source market. The roadshow came shortly after Dubai was named the number one international destination for Indian holidaymakers, in a poll by Hotels.com. Moreover, India's Jet Airways has recently enhanced its connectivity to Dubai through the introduction of a fifth daily service between Dubai and Mumbai.

Otdykh Leisure Moscow 2014, 16-19 September 2014
DTCM led a delegation of representatives to Otdykh Leisure Moscow 2014 in Moscow, Russia. The delegation held meetings with the Ministry of Culture, Federal Agency for Tourism, Association of Tour Operators of Russia, Association of Business Travel and other senior members of the travel industry as well as key target media with the aim of further increasing the number of visitors to Dubai from Russia. Dubai Tourism along with its co-participants comprising leading hotel chains, resorts and destination management companies updated the retail trade with information on Dubais new tourism product offerings that can further enhance Russian visitor experiences.

Saleh Al Geziry, Director Overseas Offices at Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented: Participation in events such as Otdykh Leisure Moscow and organizing roadshows such as our India tour play a vital role in facilitating the overall number of inbound travellers into Dubai. Otdykh Leisure Moscow help build a strong alliance between the Russian and Dubai private tourism sector retail chain, and our roadshow in India created a platform of interaction for tour and travel operators, cruise and MICE specialists and even wedding planners from various parts of India to widen their product knowledge and thus enhance Indian traveller experiences, creating more first-time and repeat travellers.

As part of a multi-pronged 2014 marketing strategy to further boost the overall number of Indian travellers to Dubai, the India roadshow visited New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai to hold meetings with over 700 Indian retail partners that include tour operators, travel agents, cruise specialists, wedding planners and MICE specialists. Longer term, Indian visitors will continue to be a key strategic focus for Dubai, especially as the United Arab Emirates readies to stage World Expo 2020, marking the first time the mega event will be held in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region.