Sheikh Mohammed hails the impact of the World’s Coolest Winter campaign, saying it attracted 950,000 domestic tourists since December launch
The number of domestic tourists in the UAE more than doubled from May to October compared to the same period last year as the coronavirus pandemic severely restricted access from international visitors.
A campaign to encourage more domestic tourism in the UAE as the coronavirus pandemic continues to curb international travel has generated about AED1 billion ($272 million), it was announced on Wednesday.
In a tweet, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, hailed the impact of the World’s Coolest Winter campaign, saying it attracted 950,000 domestic tourists.
Video: How Middle East luxury travellers are keen to get away in 2021 despite pandemic
New research says 46% of big spending tourists from the region want to travel abroad this year
“Today the UAE government concluded a campaign to encourage domestic tourism, 950 thousand domestic tourists and about one billion dirhams, its results within one month… The campaign featured the beauty of the Emirates and the beauty of working as one team,” the tweet read.
Sheikh Mohammed that the 45-day campaign will be run again from December 15 “in a more beautiful, comprehensive and better way after the world has begun to recover from this pandemic”.
The Emirates Tourism app was also launched to guide tourists to over 600 hotspots across the UAE and feature over 275 exclusive deals in hotels, restaurants and other tourist attractions worth AED72,000 for every user.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said: “World’s Coolest Winter campaign marked the beginning of a solid collaboration among federal and local tourism entities that succeeded in bringing people together, citizens and residents, to discover the UAE’s hidden gems, especially after a critical time that created physical distance.”
He added: “The campaign did not only drive domestic tourism and help people create memories, it also revealed promising talents in photography and videography and highlighted the breathtaking nature of the UAE that the world knows little about. The overwhelming response to the campaign helped frame the UAE in a new light, and we look forward to bigger campaigns in the future to support the local economy.”
The figures come just weeks after the launch of a new campaign to increase the UAE’s domestic tourism contribution to more than AED80 billion.
Sheikh Mohammed, pictured below, last month approved the new UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism that aims to develop a comprehensive scheme to regulate the local tourism sector in a collaboration among the relevant local and federal entities.
He revealed a new unified tourism identity, as part of the UAE Nation Brand, to establish the country’s status as an ideal tourist destination locally and globally.
In November, consultants CBRE said domestic tourism in the UAE had “exploded” as a result of the coronavirus crisis although the country still had some way to go to become a holiday haven for residents.
The number of domestic tourists in the UAE more than doubled from May to October compared to the same period last year as the coronavirus pandemic severely restricted access from international visitors.
Source: Read Full Article