Dubai: The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is continuing its aggressive marketing and promotional drive in 2010.

It will be highlighting the strengths and attraction of the emirate's vibrant tourism industry in 36 overseas travel exhibitions and hosting exclusive road shows and workshops in 10 countries.

Khalid A. Bin Sulayem, DTCM Director General, said the promotional tours have been finalised taking to account the developments in the established and emerging source markets for Dubai tourism industry.

All aspects of Dubai's tourism facilities, expanded hotel room capacities and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) capabilities have also been given due consideration in the multi-pronged marketing strategies to achieve the goals, he added.

"Dubai tourism product offering has considerably expanded last year and more changes are expected this year. During the last year, the global tourism industry too underwent rapid changes due to the economic downturn, requiring fast-rising destinations like Dubai to adopt strategies to remain on the cutting-edge of the highly-competitive business."

The annual promotional programme kicked off on January 14 with the participation in the four-day Austrian International Travel and Tourism Fair (Ferien-2010) in Vienna.

This was followed by the participation in Spanish International Travel and Tourism Fair (Fitur-2010) for five days from January 20 in Madrid. Dubai was under the spotlight at the Swiss International Travel and Leisure Fair (Fespo-2010) in Zurich from January 28 to 30.

Generating business

Saleh Mohammad Al Geziry, DTCM Director Overseas Promotions and Inward Missions, said: "We are confident that Dubai will continue to evoke stronger interest from the travel trade in the countries we will participate in 2010 and generate good business for the tourism industry.

"The mix of exhibitions and road shows is in line with the changing patterns of the global tourism industry and the expansion of the tourism product of Dubai. We are going to places this year from where we have been generating good business and expect to consolidate our standing."

The promotional drive in India started with the participation in SATTE-2010 (South Asia Tour and Travel Exchange) in New Delhi from January 28 to 30.

- Dubai had a major presence in India Travel Trade Expo, ITTE-2010 in Mumbai from February 18 to 20.

- The other exhibitions that DTCM and its co-participants will take part are Asia Golf 2010 (Delhi, June 25-27), India International Travel Mart, IITM-2010 (Bangaluru, July 10-12), ILTM-2010 (Chennai, July 16 to 18), TTF and OTM-2010 (Kolkata, July 31-August 2), Celebrating Vivaha 2010 (Mumbai, August 27-29), and Cinemascapes 2010 (Mumbai, October 28 and 29).

- Dubai also participated in Holiday World, Central Europe's premier tourism industry event, in Prague, Czech Republic (February 4-7), followed by Baltour-2010 (Riga, Latvia, February 5-7), Eastern Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Fair, EMITT (Istanbul and Turkey, February 11 to 14).

- In March, Dubai's participation was in AIME (Asia Pacific Incentive and Meetings Expo) in Melbourne, Australia from March 2 to 3 and Ukraine International Travel and Tourism Exhibition, UITT in Kiev, Ukraine from March 24 to 26.

- Dubai had a stronger presence in the International Tourism Bourse, ITB-2010 in Berlin from March 10 to 14, Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition, MITT in Moscow from March 17 to 20 and will take part in the World Travel Market fair WTM in London from November 8 to 11 and IMEX in Frankfurt from May 25 to 27 — all these expos considered the world's top travel trade gatherings.

- In China, where DTCM operates three representative offices, Dubai participated in GITF-2010 in Guangzhou from March 26 to 27, and will be present at ALTM in Shanghai from June 14 to 17, CIBTM in Beijing from September 7 to 9 and China International Travel Mart CITM in Jinan from November 18 to 21.

In the UAE, DTCM participated in the GIBTM (Abu Dhabi, March 29 to 31) and will be exhibiting at ATM-2010 (Dubai, May 4 to 7).

The DTCM and its industry partners will be participating in additional exhibitions.

Road sho: Promotional event

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is organising a series of four Dubai Tourism Road Shows in the Nordic states of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden from April 19 to 22.

The promotional events will take place in Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki and Stockholm and has attracted 17 co-participants including Qatar Airways, with Alpha Tours and Jebel Ali International Hotels as co-sponsors.

Ali Abdul Wahab, Head of Region, East & West Europe at DTCM's Overseas Promotions and Inward Missions Department, chaired a meeting of the representatives of co-participants and briefed them about the plan of action and road shows' details.

He said: "We are confident that Dubai will continue to evoke stronger interest from the travel trade in the countries we are holding road shows and generate good business for the tourism industry. We are going to places this year from where we have been generating good business and expect to consolidate our standing."