Dubai tourism believes it will open doors to tourists in July
After COVID-19 forced a shut down and stopped most of the tourist arrivals in March and most of April, the Dubai tourism hopes the sector will resume operations by July beginning. Speaking on the subject, the Director General of Dubai Tourism (Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing), Helal Al Marri, said that the process will be gradual and is likely to be delayed till September, based on global trends.
Al Marri added, “Many countries remain closed and it’s more about the bilateral discussions. Is it going to be July when things start slowly opening up? Is it going to be September? We just need to make sure we’re ready if things come earlier than expected.”
As a major tourist hub of the Middle East, the travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic have had severe effects on Dubai tourism sector. The strict lockdown imposed in the country last month has been somewhat eased by the government by allowing several transport and commercial activities to restart.
Reports from credible sources claim that last year, Dubai’s beaches and high-end malls welcomed 16.7 million tourists. Clearly, the country is one of the favourite travel destinations among people living in Saudi Arabia, India and the UK. Also, Chinese tourists seem to be gaining interests in the country lately.
Although tourist arrivals have been completely shut, leading to a huge loss of revenue for Dubai tourism, the industry remains optimistic about an early recovery once lockdowns are uplifted in different parts of the world. Currently, they are working on improving the hygiene facilities at airports and hotels to ensure optimum safety of visitors in future.
In a show of solidarity, the Dubai govt is offering its support by reducing some fees, including a 50 percent drop in municipality payments. As per the Director General, “In Dubai, interacting with the sector, they are not interested at all in the government controlling either supply or pricing of hotel rooms.” He added, “Investors in the hotels definitely have the expertise and the experience to make their own decisions.”
Aiming to improve travelling experience for visitors in future, Dubai tourism has launched its online tour training that will give a two-year license to the applicants who can become certified tour guides. The course, initiated by the Dubai College of Tourism, will include three stages to be completed in a maximum of 90 days. The three stages have been titled as ‘Dubai Way’, ‘Knowledge Assessment and Interview’ and ‘Skills Development and Assessment’.
Successful completion of the course will teach applicants to present the best version of Dubai and its culture to international visitors.
