Green plan for Dubai tourism

Dubai: The Dubai Government is set to issue a comprehensive 'green tourism' initiative that will make its booming tourism industry more sustainable, a top official said.

"We are working closely with other government departments to issue the comprehensive regulations that will help Dubai's tourism industry in line with the Dubai Government's strategy," Khalid A. Bin Sulayem, director-general of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai's tourism regulatory body, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Global Travel and Tourism Summit in Dubai on Monday.

"Globally, the tourism sector contributes 10 per cent of the world's GDP. In Dubai, the sector contributes 30 per cent to its GDP. As a leading destination in the Middle East, we would like to take a leadership role in developing tourism and place the right infrastructure and regulation in place to make it sustainable."

Challenges

His comments come at a time when the global travel and tourism industry leaders are debating on means to reduce carbon footprints. "The global travel and tourism industry today faces a lot of challenges, including on how to make the industry more green, eco-friendly and sustainable. We are currently enhancing regulations to make it more sustainable," he said.

Dubai, which last year served more than seven million tourists, more than five times its population, is the top tourism destination in the Middle East.

However, a shortage in rooms is pushing up the room rates, challenging its target of serving 15 million guests annually by 2010.

"Last year, Dubai received seven million hotel guests. Dubai's hotel establishments registered 84 per cent occupancy, which is the highest in the world. Over 120 airlines serve Dubai International Airport; flying to more than 200 destinations. A total 34 million passengers used the airport in 2007, accounting for 27 per cent of the total air traffic in the Middle East and Africa," he said in his inaugural speech.

"While the number of hotels is set to rise to more than 500 by 2015, the growth in room numbers will increase from nearly 47,000 now to over 125,000 by that time, including the world's biggest hotel in the "Bawadi" project. Overall, we have set a target of attracting 10 million visitors by 2010, to 15 million by 2015.

"Tourism currently has a 19 per cent direct and 30 per cent indirect contribution to GDP. This success is due to an excellent partnership between the private and public sectors."

In 2008, travel and tourism is expected to post Dh286.2 billion ($77.939.1 billion) of economic activity or total demand, growing to Dh498.8 billion ($135.82 billion) by 2018, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).