Dubai: A new team has been set up in Dubai to ensure the city remains the most friendly tourist destination for people with disabilities, authorities revealed. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, launched the Dubai Team for Accessible Travel and Tourism on Tuesday, December 7.
The decision to set up a team comes as part of the city’s endeavours to consolidate the Emirate’s global standing as a round-the-year destination accessible to all. It will consist of senior officials in government and the private sector. The team members will jointly work to advise on improvements to the Emirate’s airports, airlines, hotels, shopping centres and other touristic.
Jamal Al Hai, Deputy CEO at Dubai Airports and Team Leader, said: “Accessible tourism is an important sector for our national economy as well as helps promote the rights of People of Determination to move around and travel without hassles and obstacles.”
He explained: “The goal behind establishing the team is to put the authorities from the public and private sectors under one roof to discuss needed to improve facilities and services for disabled tourists permanently. We will be working on the agenda through having brainstorming sessions, exchanging opinions and identifying the achievements of each agency representing a field.”
The team will hold meetings with People of Determination to understand their needs while travelling to various tourist destinations.
Ghassan Suleiman Amhaz, Team’s General-Coordinator, said the number of People of Determination had reached about one billion, or the equivalent of 10-15 per cent of the total population in the world. The World Health Organization has called them a significant segment of society that pumps hundreds of billions of dollars annually into the global economy through the travel and tourism streams.
He pointed out the number of Tourists of Determination has reached about 150 million annually who look to travel and visit cities and other destinations that meet their special requirements satisfactorily.
